Son of a Pirate: Dead Man's Chest
by WolfPirate
Summary: With his recently found father dead, Jason Barbossa joins the crew of Captain Jack Sparrow on the Black Pearl. All's been well for the past year but now something threatens Jack Sparrow and Jason is, literally, pulled into the middle of it. Maybe not all sea legends are fiction. Most of them seem to come to life as Jason enters the world of Davy Jones and his dreadful kraken.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Jack Causes Trouble

The _Black Pearl_ was anchored just off shore of a prisoner island. Going near places like this always gives me the creeps. In my eyes, they were like some sort of torture house. A thick fog rolled across the ocean, ruffling my short auburn hair. My captain, Jack Sparrow, was in that place right now. I had no idea why he was there or how he was supposed to get out. The bloody git never tells me anything.

My name is Jason Barbossa. I joined Sparrow's crew last year after he had killed my father, Hector Barbossa. When Jack escaped a hanging in Port Royal I went with him. Nothing compares to sailing on the _Black Pearl_, it was the fastest ship on the entire ocean. Okay, maybe that was a little exaggerated but you know what I mean. The _Pearl_ was my father's ship before Sparrow had killed him so that's why I came. At least one Barbossa had to be on board to look after it. The only downside was that I had to sail under Jack Sparrow.

If I had my way we would've left him on this godforsaken rock, but the rest of the crew probably wouldn't like that idea. I was the only one that hated Jack and he knew it. He tried to make it up to me by teaching me how to properly use my swords. My weapons of choice, two silver swords that slung across my back, were once part of my father's treasure. The _Black Pearl, _a capuchin monkey named Jack, those swords and a necklace he gave me when I was younger were the only things I had left of my father. The necklace was freaking impossible to take off, not that I ever would.

A thumping sound from behind me shook me out of my thoughts. I turned around to find the first mate, Gibbs, walking out on deck. He had a bottle of rum in his hands and his footsteps were wobbly. Gibbs was the technical first mate but Jack always seemed to ask me for ideas or suggestions although I don't know why he would ever fully trust me.

Gibbs was walking about and singing a shanty:

"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest

Ah yo ho ho and a bottle of rum

Drink to the devil and be done with the rest

Ah yo ho ho and a bottle of rum"

Gibbs laughed as he took a swig from the bottle. I rolled my eyes. Drunk Gibbs was always so weird. A bell rang out in the distance, scaring the poor man half to death. He looked over at the island and finally noticed me. "Hello, Jason."

I waved back. "Hi, Gibbs." The first mate smiled and walked over to me. Over the past year Gibbs had become a good friend of mine. He always seemed to know what I was thinking, which can be really annoying at times.

"Thinkin' about your father, lad?" he asked.

"How do you do that?"

Gibbs held up his hands. "It's a gift." He offered me the bottle of rum. I shook my head, making Gibbs chuckle. "I swear, you're the only pirate in the Caribbean who would decline rum."

"Give me a break, Gibbs. I'm only fourteen. I don't like the taste and it makes me feel sick. What's wrong with that?"

Gibbs looked like he was about to answer but the cawing of crows interrupted him. They flew over our heads towards the prison island. I heard that they lock the prisoners up in cages outside so that the birds can pick at them. It's a form of torture. I shivered at the thought.

"How do you think Jack's going to get out of there?" I asked.

Gibbs shrugged. "You never know with Jack Sparrow."

Hearing his name, a creature shrieked from up in the rigging. I chuckled to myself and looked up. It was the fury, black capuchin monkey named Jack. Sparrow absolutely hated him. The only reason Lil'Jack was still here was because Jack felt guilty about killing Barbossa and I made him keep the monkey. At every chance I got, I tormented the captain using the monkey. Oh the fun we have.

I turned back to look at the ocean again. In the distance I could see, what looked like…a coffin? I leaned over the railing to get a better look. Yep, it was a coffin. In the coffin sat a figure. Most likely human but I was skeptical. I had seen walking skeletons before. Heck, my father was a walking skeleton. (Side effect of being immortal, long story)

As the coffin got closer I make out more distinct features on the humanoid figure. First, I confirmed it was not a skeleton. Second, I noticed it had long dreadlocks, a bandanna and a tri-corner hat. _Of course._

Minutes later, Jack Sparrow was climbing up the ladder to get on deck. Gibbs offered him a hand and in return got a leg. A skeleton's leg, to be exact. I shrugged. Not the weirdest thing I've ever seen, but definitely top ten. Number one was a completely drunk Jack Sparrow. That was funny but also really disturbing.

"Not quite according to the plan." Gibbs said, eyeing the leg.

"Complication arose, were ensued and overcome." Jack said. Mr. Cotton, a mute man, put Jack's coat over the captain's shoulders.

"You got what you went in for, then?" Gibbs asked.

"Mm hm." Jack held up a small piece of cloth and walked away. The crew came out of nowhere and blocked his path. This crew was fairly new. We picked them up few months ago. I personally didn't trust them that much, nor did I like them.

"Uh, Captain." Gibbs began. "I think the crew, meaning me as well, was expectin' something a bit more shiny. What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear-shaped and to be claimed by the sea." I grimaced at the memory. Isla de Muerta, meaning Island of Death, was the island where Barbossa had kept all of his treasures. The entire island was filled to the brim with gold, jewels, sapphires, rubies, you name it. We were so excited to get that treasure but then Poseidon decided to take it for his own.

"And the Royal Navy chasing us all across the Atlantic." one of the crew said. His name was Leech and he acted as some sort of leader. One of the main reasons I didn't like him.

"And the hurricane." Marty, the dwarf pirate, put in. I liked Marty. He was a good friend of mine. The rest of the crew agreed with him with quiet 'Aye's'.

"Shiny?" Jack asked.

"Aye, shiny." Gibbs confirmed.

Jack eyed the crew. "Is that how you're all feeling, then? That perhaps dear old Jack is not serving your best interests as captain?"

"Walk the plank." Cotton's parrot squawked.

Jack pointed his gun at the feathered creature. "What did the bird say?"

"Do not blame the bird." Leech said. "Show us, what is on that piece of cloth there."

Just then my favorite monkey swung down from the rigging and shrieked in Jack's face. The captain screamed and tried to shoot him but there was no shot in the gun. Lil'Jack grabbed the cloth, dropped to the ground and ran off. Sparrow was about to shoot him with Gibbs' gun when the monkey climbed onto my shoulder. With the moon out, Lil'Jack was in his skeleton form but I didn't mind. I actually thought the creature looked really cool in that form.

Jack still had his gun raised at the monkey on my shoulder. I smirked and held out my hand. Lil'Jack dropped the cloth into my hand. Jack grimaced when I started to unfold it.

"What is it, Jason?" Marty asked.

"Calm down, master dwarf. Give me a second." Marty glared daggers at me. He hates being called a dwarf. I examined what was on the cloth. "It's a key."

"No. It's much more better." Jack said, running up to me. When he got too close Lil'Jack shrieked. Jack grimaced and took a step back. He held out his hand for the cloth. I rolled my eyes and dropped the worn fabric in his hand.

"It is a drawing of a key." Jack said and held up the cloth fro everyone to see. I walked around him to get a better look.

"Gentlemen, what do keys do?" Jack asked.

"Keys…unlock things?" Leech offered.

"Really? I did not know that." I said sarcastically. Leech glared at me.

"And whatever this key unlocks inside is something valuable so we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks." Gibbs said excitedly.

"No. We don't have the key. We can't open whatever we don't have that it unlocks so what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key that unlocks it?"

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell you? No one can understand you when you talk like that." I said. Jack glared at me and smacked the back of my head. "Oi!"

"So we're going after this key?" Gibbs asked, trying to understand.

"You're not making any sense at all." Jack said. "Anymore questions?"

"Sooo…do we have a heading?" Marty asked.

"Ah! A heading." Jack brought out his compass. "Set sail…in a…general…" Jack moved his finger around, not sure of which direction to go. He pointed to the left and then quickly to the right, nearly poking my eye out. "…that way direction!"

"Uh, Cap'n?" Gibbs sounded skeptical.

Jack shut the compass. "Come on, snap to it and make sail. You know how this works." He turned around and walked towards his cabin. When he past me Lil'Jack shrieked in his face and jumped on his head over to the rigging. Jack yelped and glared at me. "I thought you had that thing under control?"

"I do." I said. Jack kept glaring at me then shook his head and continued walking towards his cabin. I sniggered quietly and walked up to the railing. Marty joined me.

"I'm going to get ya back for that dwarf comment." he said.

"I know."

"Have ya noticed lately, the captain's been actin' a bit strange. Err."

"When doesn't he act strange?" I asked. Marty smirked.

Gibbs walked up next to use. "Aye, but setting sail without knowin' his own heading? Something's got Jack vexed and what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all."

* * *

**Hey everyone! I know it has been awhile since I last wrote. I really wanted to get my rough draft for At World's End done before I started this. The RD is still incomplete but I promise to write this story every weekend. When the rough draft is finished I'll write this story full time. **

**What do you think Jack is so nervous about, hmmm?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Cannibals Hate Me

I couldn't sleep that night and for once it wasn't because of nightmares. At least once a fortnight I would wake up in terror due to bad dreams. My past keeps creeping up on me. Thankfully, my nightmares weren't the problem tonight; it was what Gibbs had said earlier. He was right; Jack had been acting weirder than usual lately. _What's going on with him?_ Over the past few weeks it seemed he was scared of the ocean. We docked whenever land was in sight and he would instruct Gibbs to take the shortest route to the next island. The rest of the crew probably noticed it as well, but no one could figure out what was wrong with the captain.

With my foot on the wooden pillar I could easily swing my hammock back and forth. Sometimes the rocking motion would help me get to sleep but not tonight. Tonight, my mind would not rest until it figured out the puzzle. That was one of my few flaws, if I was curious about something I would pester until I got the answer. Until then my mind would not rest. Subconsciously, I heard someone coming down the stairs and murmur something. _Probably one of the crew coming back from watch._

Finally figuring out I wasn't going to fall asleep, I climbed out of my hammock. I was only going out on deck so I didn't bother putting my boots on. Reaching the top of the stairs I took in the sight of the night sky. It was still cloudy and the air was strangely cold. I shivered slightly and walked up to the railing. The ocean was dark and looked uninviting. _Who knows what's lurking down there._ Old legends of sea monsters and mermaids crept into my head. _Maybe Jack's afraid of the sea monsters._ I chuckled at the thought. Jack was crazy, but not crazy enough to believe in old legends like that.

I took a deep breath of air to clear my head. My lungs protested at the sudden intake of cold air. Shivering again, I walked up to the bow of the _Pearl_. Decorated on the bow was a lady holding what seemed like a bird. Jack told me that the _Black Pearl_ was once called the _Wicked Wench. _He had changed it when he had stopped working for the East India Trading Company. That was a weird story. I never would have believed it if Jack wasn't the one who told me. I could hardly imagine Jack wearing one of those idiotic uniforms although it was pretty funny to think about.

_Maybe I should just ask him what's wrong. He'll tell me, won't he? _I thought about that for a moment. Jack might tell me what his problem was but he also might not. _Only one way to find out._ I turned around and walked towards the stern of the ship. The captain's quarters were easy to find. I had been in there once or twice when Barbossa was captain though I hadn't been in there since.

Walking up to the black door I knocked twice. "Jack?" I called. "Jack, can I ask you something?" No answer. I knocked again. "Jack, come on. It's Jason. I just have one question." I thought for a moment. "Okay, maybe that was a lie. I have more than one question, but still, can I talk to you?" Still no answer. "Bloody git's probably drunk again." I mumbled. Getting fed up; I turned the knob and opened the door.

On a first look I noticed Jack was not in the room. Another thing I noticed was that the table that was once in the middle of the room was moved off to the side and had been replaced by a desk. Also the perch that Lil'Jack used to sit on was gone. "Jack?" I called again just to make sure he was gone. Now I could only think of two places Sparrow could be. One was at the helm, but since I was just on deck and I didn't see him that option was scratched out. The second place as the rum cellar. He was probably there because I noticed an empty bottle of rum on the desk. Another item on the desk was Jack's compass.

Slowly, I walked over to the desk and picked up the small device. Last year, Commodore Norrington had dubbed it broken. I knew that it didn't exactly work but I hardly doubt that Jack would use a broken compass. The needle didn't point north when I picked it up. It didn't point anywhere. The needle spun around in circles, unsure of which direction to fixate on. Eventually, it stopped and pointed somewhere to the east. "What are you showing me?" I asked the "broken" compass. Of course it didn't answer. If it did I probably would've dropped it and stabbed it with the knife lying on the desk.

I closed the compass and set it back on the desk. A map was also lying open on the desk. _Jack must've been looking at it._ I concluded. It was a small map of the Caribbean Sea, not much more. Taking one last glance around the cabin, I walked out the door. As soon as I closed the door, Jack came running up the stairs screaming: "Run like Hell and the devil itself in is upon you!" all of the crew followed him and went right to work. Most of the crew was shirtless and/or shoeless. _What the heck, Jack? _The man looked absolutely terrified.

"What's going on, Jack?" I called and ran up to him. Jack screamed and ran from me. I stood there, completely confused. Gibbs ran up next to me. "Do you know what wrong with him?" I asked the mutton-chopped man.

He shook his head. "No idea." Gibbs looked around for his friend and found him hiding behind the mast. When Jack noticed Gibbs staring he yelped. "Which port?" Gibbs asked.

"I didn't say port. I said land, any land." Jack replied. That was when Lil'Jack swooped down and grabbed Sparrow's hat. Lil'Jack shrieked at the captain and, strangely enough, Jack hissed back. The monkey threw the tri-corner hat into the water.

"Jack's hat!" Gibbs shouted and ran to the railing. "Bring her about!"

"No, no, no. Leave it." Jack said. Everyone gave him a confused look. "Run." The captain ordered and ran to hide again. Now I was really confused. The only thing that Jack loved as much as rum and the _Black Pearl_ was his hat. _Why would he leave it?_

Gibbs was quietly talking with Jack. Apparently, our "brave" captain was hiding under the stairs. "There is something seriously wrong with him." I muttered. Marty must've heard me.

"Aye." he agreed. We shared a look and he walked off to continue working. I started to walk up to Jack, hoping to confront him, but Gibbs got in my way. He gave me a warning look.

"What's wrong with him?" I questioned.

"I don't know, but you don't say anything. The last thing Jack needs right now is you asking him about it. Got it?" Gibbs didn't give me a chance to answer because he walked up to the helm.

I scowled and went to help the crew. We worked all night and by the morning I felt I could sleep for a year. Unfortunately, that didn't happen because we found an island to dock at. Well, not dock. We beached the _Black Pearl_ on the sand. I was the second one off the ship, Jack was the first. As soon as Gibbs told him we found land he scrambled down the ladder to get of the ship.

When the _Pearl _was safely anchored I walked up to Jack. "You alright, Sparrow? You seem a little shaken."

He turned to me. "I'm fine, Jason. Come, let us explore this island." Jack walked up the beach towards the jungle. The rest of the crew and I followed our frightened captain.

The jungle was dense, really dense. As soon as I walked into it I regretted not bringing my swords. We were in such a rush last night I barely had time to put on my boots. In fact, the only weapon I had was the small knife that I always keep on my belt.

For most of the trek I walked next to Marty and Cotton. We didn't talk a lot although Marty kept complaining about the weather and how he would rather be on the ship. Finally, I got fed up with his mumbling and I walked ahead of the group. Not exactly scouting, more like walking ahead so I wouldn't get bored. I kept the crew in earshot, though. No one wants to get lost in a jungle they hardly know, let alone not know what lurks in it.

Now that I could actually think, I thought about a lot of stuff. First and foremost, why were we on some bloody island? I was sure that Jack had finally flipped his lid. Not for the first time I wished Barbossa was still alive and that he was captain. _Life would be so much easier if Jack had just not killed him._ _Instead of being on some stupid island I would be back on the _Black Pearl_ counting my loot._ I grinned at the thought. If Barbossa had lived, I would've been so rich. All that gold from Isla de Muerta was probably the equal to a king's ransom.

I stopped walking. Straining my ears I realized I couldn't hear the crew. _I must've walked too far ahead._ Looking around, I found a small tree stump that I could sit on. I walked towards it and suddenly felt a strong pull on one of my legs. Before I knew what was happening, I was upside down and hanging from a tree. A rope was wrapped tightly around my ankle. "Oi!" I shouted. "Whoever set this trap, let me down!" no answer. "Gibbs! Marty! Jack!" still no answer. "I swear I go throughout life being ignored." I mumbled to myself.

Off in the distance I could hear Jack screaming. I could tell it was Jack because he screams in a very particular way. "Oh bloody fantastic." I hissed. "Now Jack's in trouble. Real shocker there." I was pretty much talking to myself but I felt like something needed to be said. Maybe a parrot heard me and would repeat the message to his friends. _Jeez, and I call Jack crazy._

I tried reaching up to grab the rope. It was like trying to do sit ups upside down. If you haven't tried it well lets just say it's very difficult. Over the year I had build up some muscle but I never had to do something like this. By the time I did grab the rope, which was actually a vine, I was nearly gasping for breath. One hand tightly holding the rope, with the other I unsheathed my knife and started cutting. Almost instantly I dropped to the ground, landing hard on my back. "Wow, I did not think that through." I groaned.

I slowly stood up. When I fell the breath was knocked out of my lungs. It took a minute to get it back. First walking then jogging, I went back the direction I came. Something happened to the crew and I wanted to know what it was. _Maybe they were attacked by some sort of savage beast._ I shook the thought from my head. If I had to rescue them I was in no condition to do so. The only real weapon I had was a small knife and that wouldn't do very good against a wild animal.

As I got closer I slowed down to a walk. Very quietly, I crept through the jungle. I heard a rustling noise and dove into the bushes to hide. Just in time too. Coming out from the underbrush were people. Not the crew, but more like natives, I guess. Their skin was painted green and yellow, most likely for camouflage purposes. A few of them had sticks or bones going through their noses. Most of them were only wearing loin cloths. _Really wish I could unsee that._ The natives were surrounding the crew. They seemed unharmed but I did notice Jack looked completely calm. No one else was as calm as him, but that was probably because the natives were pointing spears at them.

One of the natives started speaking. It sounded like complete gibberish but Jack seemed to understand. He answered back in the same language. The only thing I got was "incey-wincey". _I always knew you were a strange man, Sparrow, but this takes the cake._ When the "conversation" was finished the group started to move again. I followed quietly behind. I was thinking that maybe if I could free the crew we could get off this island. Unfortunately, I was still sleep deprived from last night so I wasn't exactly light on my feet. I tripped over a log and fell flat on my face with a loud crash.

Almost instantly, the natives surrounded me and pointed their spears at my head. "Fils de pute!" I cursed. Jack came up and started speaking in the gibberish language. The natives looked slightly angry but they lowered their weapons and let me stand up. As soon as I was on my feet they grabbed my arms and threw me in with the rest of the crew. "Hi, guys. Long time no see, eh?" one of the natives jabbed the butt of their spear into my side. "Watch it!" I whirled around and faced him. Jack gave me a warning glance. I glared at him, but nothing more. We began our trek through the jungle shortly after that.

The natives led us confidently through the trees and dense foliage. I tried to look for landmarks in case we escaped but I couldn't see anything. _How does one navigate through here?_ It seemed we had walked for hours before the natives led us across a rickety bridge. The bridge spanned over a large cliff. It didn't look very stable and I was hesitant to walk across. The only thing that kept me moving was a sharp jab to my side.

We went across the bridge and into a small village. The village had human skulls lining most of the small huts. I thought the journey had come to an end but the natives led us across another bridge. In another village a fire was burning nearby. I caught a whiff of the smoke and began gagging. It smelled like burning flesh, human flesh. I stared, horrified, at the natives. _They're cannibals!_

A hand fell on my shoulder. "Keep walking, Jason." Gibbs said.

"They're…"

"I know. Just hold your breath and keep walking" I did as Gibbs instructed and put my hand over my nose and mouth. Unfortunately, I couldn't hold my breath forever and whenever I breathed I smelled burning flesh. I nearly threw up once or twice.

The natives led us by a few more villages before we came to a stop. We finally stopped at one. Jack was led inside a hut while the rest of us waited outside. "What's going to happen?" I whisper to Gibbs. He looked at me with a saddened expression and shook his head. I didn't expect him to answer with words. The expression told me everything I needed to know. "Well, this sucks." I stated. Some of the crew nodded in agreement.

A cannibal came out from the hut Jack was led into. He gave a command, I think, in the weird language and the natives complied. They started grabbing some of the crew. The crew struggled and tried to fight but they were outnumbered. Everyone was screaming. I tried to help but Gibbs held me back. "What are you doing? We have to help them!" I shouted. Gibbs didn't say anything. He looked as terrified as I felt. We watched helplessly as the some of the crew were dragged into a hut. There were screams of pain and agony but then it just stopped. Minutes later, lifeless bodies were dragged out of the hut. I glared at the cannibals. Such a rage was building up inside me, I felt like I was going to burst. My hands were balled up into fists and were shaking slightly.

The crew that did survive (Marty, Cotton, Gibbs, Tearlach, Leech, myself and some of the other sailors working under Leech) waited what seemed like forever. Hours passed. The cannibals stared at us with hungry eyes, waiting for a chance to attack. I glared back at them. One of them took a few steps towards me but when I snarled at him he backed off.

As night fell the cannibals led us to a place to sleep. Just a small hut with straw laid out for sleeping on. I don't think anyone slept. Marty and Cotton sat on either side of me. Cotton's parrot had flown off when the cannibals first attacked. I didn't blame it. If I could fly away from this place it would be done in a heartbeat. _I wish Lil'Jack was here._ That bloody monkey could always, somehow, comfort me. Occasionally, I dozed off but I kept seeing those hungry eyes in my sleep would wake up again. Come morning, I was no more rested than the night before.

We spent another day of doing nothing. In the morning Gibbs was led to the same hut Jack was in. We didn't see him until later in the evening. I couldn't say the same thing about Jack. There was something strange going on here. Well, one the fact that the natives were cannibals but that's not what I meant. It seemed to me that the cannibals were treating Jack with some sort of authority and respect and no one treats Jack like that.

The cannibals kept away most of the time. When they got too close I would growl or snarl at them and they would back off. Although, no matter what I did, they would always look at us with hungry eyes. I shuddered inwardly at those stars but always kept a straight face.

As the days dragged on the cannibals gave us food and water. Thankfully, the main item on our menu was fruit. One time we were offered meat and, thankfully, everyone declined. I, however, resisted the urge to punch the cannibal in the face. It was bad enough to smell the retched stench. The mere thought of actually eating it made my stomach churn.

It was almost nightfall on the fourth or fifth day when we finally saw Jack again. His face was painted with eyes so when his real eyes closed it looked like they were open. He was also given some sort of feathery stick-thing that attached to his arm. "Don't worry gents. It will all be over soon." our captain assured. His face, however, told a different story.

"Does that mean we're going back to the _Pearl_ soon?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"No. But, I can promise that you won't be eaten while I'm still alive." Jack said. Jack spoke something in the weird language and the cannibals started coming towards us.

"Jack, call them off." I said.

"Sorry, Jason."

"Call them off!" Stepping out in front of the crew, I drew my knife and waved it threateningly. "Get back!" I snarled. The cannibals only came closer, disregarding the knife. I slashed at one of them.

"Jason!" Jack warned. "Put the knife down."

"No! I will not be on tonight's dinner menu!" I turned and shouted at the man. While I was distracted, one of the cannibals grabbed my arm and bit my wrist. I dropped my knife and was instantly grabbed and dragged away. "Jack, you son of a…" a gag was tied around my mouth, cutting off my curse. The rest of the crew was grabbed and we were all led across a few bridges before we stopped at one cliff.

Two circular cages made of bones were resting on the edge. One by one we were put in the cages. Marty, Gibbs, Cotton, Tearlach and I were put in one while the rest of the crew was put in the other. Once secure in our new prison, the cannibals lowered us over the edge. The cages were attached to a rope spanning across the chasm. Hopefully, the vine was strong enough to hold our weight. It was stronge vine and the bone cages hung from them over the seemingly endless chasm. Occasionally, the cage would sway in the wind.

I turned to Gibbs a good while after we had been put in the cages. "What is going on? Why is Jack being treated like a king while we're all sitting in bone cages?" I demanded.

"The Pelegostos…" Gibbs started.

"Who are the Pelegostos?"

"The natives." Gibbs answered.

"The cannibals?" I asked. He nodded.

"The Pelegostos made Jack their chief."

"Why would anyone want Sparrow for a chief?" I asked. It was meant as an insult to Jack and I think Gibbs picked it up.

"We're in a near death situation and you still manage to make insults at people."

I shrugged. "It's a gift."

Gibbs shook his head. "Anyway, they believe that Jack is a god in bound in human form. They feel it is their duty to release him."

"How?" I asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.

"They'll roast him and eat him." I grimaced at the words. Sure, I hated Jack at times, like now for instance, but no living person deserved that fate.

Night came and passed slowly. Somehow, I did manage to fall asleep. Probably because I was completely exhausted. I barely got any sleep when we were near those cannibals. It was much easier to rest when hanging in a bone cage over an endless chasm than to have those hungry eyes stare at you all night.

Sometime in the afternoon, our cage was pulled up to the cliff. I for one thought we were going to die. When the cage was safely on the cliff the cannibals opened it up and threw someone in. We barely had time to react before the cage was lowered again. I didn't even now who was thrown in until he stood up. I grinned as soon as I recognized his brown hair and dark brown eyes. "Will!"

"Hello, Jason." Will Turner, the blacksmith from Port Royal, greeted. "What are you all doing here?

"Oh, you know. Just hanging around." I answered. Marty groaned at my corny joke. I saw Gibbs smile a little.

"Jack brought us to the island." Gibbs answered Will's question.

"Hopefully on accident." I muttered.

Will glanced at me before turning back to Gibbs. "Why would he do this to us? If Jack is chief…"

"Aye, Jack is chief but he only remains chief if he acts like a chief." Gibbs interrupted.

"So he is a prisoner here as much as the rest of us." Will figured out.

"Worse, as it turns out." Gibbs told Will everything he told me yesterday. Cotton made it a bit more dramatic by biting Gibbs' fingers.

"Where are the rest of the crew?" Will asked once Gibbs finished.

"Trust me, Will. You don't want to know." I said.

"See these cages we're in?" Gibbs asked. "They weren't built 'till after we got here." Will took his hands off the bones. Out in the distance, I could hear drums start to play. They echoed across the canyon. "When those drums stop, Jack's life will end."

"And then we're toast. Or roast, I should say." I murmured.

"Well we can't just sit here and wait, then." Will said.

I looked at the man. "You got a plan."

Will smiled. "Of course."

**I know this is about 8 or 9 hours late, but I was busy this weekend. Hope you enjoyed it. What do you think Will has up his sleeve? Post answers or questions in the review section. See you next weekend!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Roll Away!

It began slowly. We shifted our weight in the cages so our momentum would make it move. The other half of the crew was doing this too. Pretty soon we were swinging across the canyon. Despite the situation, I was having fun and actually started laughing. "Whoo!" I shouted as the wind struck my face.

"Please not now, Jason" Gibbs said. I complied but kept grinning. We swung close to the canyon wall. Reaching out we managed to grab twigs and grass but the roots came out so we swung back. The second time we were more fortunate.

I grabbed hold of a thick vine. It was actually pretty difficult to hold the cage against the wall but we managed. "Put your legs through and start to climb." Gibbs ordered.

"Come on, men! It will take all of us to crew the _Black Pearl_!" Will shouted.

"Actually, you wouldn't need everyone. 'Bout six would do." Leech corrected. I quickly counting how many men were in each cage. There was about six. "Oh dear." Leech groaned. Will looked back at Gibbs for confirmation. The first mate nodded.

"Hurry!" I yelled. We started to climb faster while Marty stood on top of the cage and shouted encouragement. _Fat lot of help you are_. Now it was a race to the top. Whoever got to the _Pearl _first would have control of it and would probably sail away without Jack or the rest of the crew. Our cage soon passed the other one. Again, despite the situation I was having a fairly good time. I held in the urge to laugh and mock the other "team".

"Stop!" Will suddenly whispered urgently. Everyone froze. I looked back to see a cannibal walking across the bridge. We hung there in silence. Leech, apparently thinking he's better than everyone else, signaled for his men to be quiet and kept climbing.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. "Stop!" Leech laughed silently. _Those idiots are going to get us killed._ I held up my middle finger to the man. A gesture I learned from a drunken Jack a few months ago. Leech glared daggers at me. While he was distracted his hand grabbed something other than a vine, a snake to be exact.

"Snake!" he screamed. Everyone in his cage started freaking out. In a panic, they all let go of the vines. The cage plummeted towards the seemingly endless chasm. They all screamed in fear as the fell to their death. Unfortunately for us the cannibal walking across the bridge saw the whole thing.

"Move!" Will shouted. We scrambled up the cliff. No need for secrecy now. _Why couldn't those idiots have just stayed quiet?_ I asked myself. Now we had to rush to the top, run through the jungle and hopefully the _Pearl_ would just be ready to go. I doubted that last part.

As I was thinking we had made it to the top of the cliff. "Cut the line! Find a rock!" Will ordered. I noticed that Will was giving a lot of orders lately. _Well it was his plan._ Pretty soon the line was cut. That was when the cannibals caught up with us. "Roll the cage!" Will shouted. We started moving forward making the cage roll. The ground suddenly got really steep.

We rolled down the hill out of control and at top speed. I was doing a mixture of screaming and laughing. The cage went off a ramp thing and we were airborne. "Whoooo! Hahahaha!" I laughed. We landed with a solid thump and kept rolling. To be completely honest, my stomach wasn't doing so well. Luckily enough, the cage ran into a tree and stopped rolling. "Can we do that again?" I asked, feeling really dizzy but also laughing like a madman.

"How 'bout no?" Marty suggested.

"Lift the cage!" Will ordered.

"Lift it like a lady's skirt!" Gibbs translated. That put an image in my mind and started laughing even more. I was pretty much giddy with adrenaline. As we started running the cannibals caught up to us and chased us again.

We ran for a few minutes then a cliff suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Practically running off the cliff, we fell down and crash landed in water. Thankfully, the cage broke on impact so we could swim freely. That confused me. _The cage broke when it landed in water but not when it landed on the hard ground? Eh, guess we're just lucky._

The cannibals gathered along the edge of the cliff and started shooting arrows and throwing spears. One of the spears pierced the water just to my left. _Again, lucky._ We swam up river. It ended at a dead end. Pressed up against the wall, I hoped our luck would hold out. Will had his arm protectively across my chest. Thankfully, our luck did hold out. The cannibals suddenly turned away from the cliff and ran. "Why…oh, never mind." I started.

Everyone had a look of relief on their faces. I probably did too. We almost died, again. Over the past year there were a lot of situation were dying was a high possibility but this one would have been the worst. No one wants to be eaten alive. Drowning, I can handle. Stabbed to death, sure why not? But I do not want to be eaten. Even if I'm dead before I become part of a meal I do not want my flesh or heart or other organs to be in someone's digestive track. I shuddered just thinking about it.

Shaking my thoughts from my head I began following the others downriver. Luckily, the river ran out into the ocean. I could see the _Black Pearl_ "docked" less than a mile to our right. "Race you!" I shouted and sprinted towards the black ship. Being the fastest, I got there first and was greeted by the most unexpected person. "Pintel?" I asked.

The almost bald, pot-bellied man turned around. Upon seeing me he yelped. "Ah! Barbossa!" I glared at him. Pintel quickly corrected himself. "No, not Barbossa. You're his lad. Jason, right?" I rolled my eyes and nodded. Glancing up, I saw who looked like Ragetti lean over the railing of the ship.

"He's got me eye and 'e won't give it back!" the man shouted. _Yup, that's Ragetti._

"Well how'd ya get it back last time?" Pintel shouted at his nephew. By this time Gibbs and the others managed to catch up.

"Excellent! Our work's half done!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"We've done it for you knowing you'd be comin' back for it." Pintel said innocently. I rolled my eyes.

"Loose the sails, boys!" Gibbs ordered, ignoring Pintel.

"What about Jack? I won't leave without him!" Will said defiantly.

"I vote we leave Sparrow behind." I said and raised my hand. Will glared at me. "What?"

In the distance there was a shout. "Oi!" I turned around and saw Jack running towards us. There was only a few seconds before we saw a huge mob of hungry, angry cannibals chasing after him.

"Never mind, let's go!" Will said and ran towards the ship.

"Cast off those lines!" Gibbs shrieked. I ran to the side of the ship and climbed the rigging. As soon as I climbed over the railing I ran into Ragetti. He was as I remembered him, blond, tall and only had one eye. There was no wooden eye in his socket this time. I cringed at the sight.

"Jason!" he cried.

I grinned. "The one and only. Get to work, man. We have cannibals to sail away from." Ragetti looked slightly confused but then nodded and walked off. Minutes later, Jack climbed over the railing. Taking a glance back at the island I saw the cannibals lined up on the beach, screaming their sorrow.

Gibbs immediately ran up to his captain. "Let's put some distance between us and this island and head out to open sea." Pintel and Ragetti were putting Jack's coat on his shoulders. _Suck ups._

"Yes to the first and yes to the second but only so far as we keep to the shallows as much as possible." Jack said. Gibbs and I exchanged confused looks.

"That seems a bit contradictory, Cap'n" Gibbs pointed out.

"I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Master Gibbs. Now where is that monkey, I want to shoot something!" Jack sounded rather annoyed. To be fair to him, he was wet and had almost been eaten alive and there was paint dripping down his face.

Something dropped onto the deck. It was Ragetti's wooden eye. I cringed as he spit on it on it and picked it up. Jack loaded his gun and was looking for Lil'Jack when Will walked up to him.

"Jack, Elizabeth is in danger." Will said.

"Again? I swear that girl gets into all kinds of trouble." I remarked.

"Sound like anyone you know?" Jack asked mockingly. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it again. Jack walked towards the helm. "Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on her? Maybe just lock her up somewhere."

"She is locked up, sentenced to hang for helping you." Will argued, following Jack.

"Technically she didn't really do anything. She just stood with you in front of Ol' Norrington." I said, following the duo. Both Will and Jack looked at me.

"Do you ever be quiet?" Will asked.

"Sadly, no." Jack answered. "Anyway, there is a time when one must take responsibility for their actions."

"Says the man who runs away from everything." I stated loudly. Jack glared at me but didn't answer. Will turned the attention back to him when he took a sword from a pirate and held it up to Jack's neck.

"I need that compass of yours, Jack. I must trade it for her freedom." he said.

Jack looked thoughtful. "Mr. Gibbs?"

"Aye, Cap'n?

"We have a need to travel upriver." Jack leaned in close to Gibbs. The old man looked scared.

"By need do you mean a trifling need. A fleeting, as in a passing fancy?" Gibbs asked hopefully.

"No, a resolute and unyielding need." Jack said. Gibbs looked disappointed.

"What we need is to make sail for Port Royal with all haste!" Will demanded.

"Calm down, will you? Everything is going to be fine." I assured my old friend. Jack sighed, whether it was at my comment or Will's I do not know.

"William, I shall trade to you the compass if you will help me find this." Jack pulled out the cloth he took from the prison. The one with the key drawn on it.

Will took it in his hand. "You want me to find this?"

"No. You want you to find this. Because the finding of this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating in your discovering a way to save your dolly-belle ol' what's-her-face. Savvy?"

"That's not a real word." I said.

"What isn't?" Jack asked.

"Incapacitorially."

"Yes it is." he defended.

I sighed. "No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"Then define it. What does it mean?" I asked, crossing my arms and letting a smug smile stretch across my face.

"It mean…um…"

"I'm waiting."

"Shut up." Jack ended the argument with that.

"See? Not a real word."

"Jason, why don't you go sleep or something? You're good at that." Jack waved his hands in front of my face in a shooing motion.

I looked at him skeptically. "Why?"

"Because you look tired. Don't you agree, Gibbs? Doesn't young master Barbossa look exhausted?" Jack gave Gibbs a look.

"Aye. You should go get some rest. I noticed you haven't been sleepin' well lately." Gibbs said, sounding a bit unsure.

I eyed them both skeptically. Although I hated to admit it, Jack was right, I was rather tired. Sleeping in a cage isn't exactly restful. "Make sure they don't leave without me, okay Will?" I asked the blacksmith. He nodded. Still suspicious, I turned around and walked down the stairs to below deck. There I found my hammock and completely crashed.

* * *

**Did anyone else think that Jack sounded a bit too eager for Jason to think? Hmm, I wonder what he's planning. Tell me what you think in the review section (Hint: it's located below this chapter) Anyway, have fantastic weekend, guys and gals. I myself will be spending it with my family up north. Until next time, farewell.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Upriver

My sleep was only slightly disturbed by nightmares. Not too bad. The cannibals were chasing me through a labyrinth of tunnels. Whenever I turned around they stared at me with hungry eyes. I woke up from that and almost immediately fell back asleep. The second time I woke up I felt fantastic. My nap was only a couple of hours but my head felt clear and focused.

As I stood up from my hammock I grabbed my swords. _Not forgetting you two this time_. Strapping them across my back and putting my pistol in my belt I walked up the steps to the main deck. It was near sunset. The water started to glisten red and the sky was a faded pink color.

Jack and Gibbs were up at the helm talking quietly. Will was standing near the railing looking out onto the water. Sadly, the cannibal's island was still in sight. In fact, we were so close I was afraid we would beach again. Ragetti had spotted me and nearly ran to greet me.

"'Aven't seen you in couple of hours. Where ya been?" the blond man sounded concerned. His voice was gentle but his wooden eye threw me off a bit.

"Just catching up on my sleep." I answered. "How did you and Pintel get here? Weren't you two in the jail at Port Royal?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Pintel said roughly and walked up next to his nephew. "Thought you were on our side 'til ye stole the medallion. Bloody thief."

"Barbossa was going to kill my friend. I couldn't just stand by and let that happen. What if someone was going to kill Ragetti? Would you just stand by and watch him die?" my tone was angry and frustrated. Pintel flinched at the mere thought of Ragetti's death. "See? I didn't want to betray my father but I also couldn't have just watched Will die." I let out a breath of air to clear my head. "How'd you get out of the prison?"

"We tempted the guard dog, grabbed the keys and stole a boat." Ragetti answered quietly.

"No one can tempt the guard dog. He's too well trained."

"Well I did. I'm just that clever." Pintel said proudly.

I rolled my eyes. "Did the rest of the crew get hanged?"

"Yeah. Luckily, we escaped before that happened." there was a silence after Pintel spoke. "We could've used you a couple of hours ago."

"Why? Tired of working?"

"That's not what I meant. We were-"

"Ah, Jason! I was just about to send someone to wake you." Jack interrupted Pintel and walked up to us.

"Hi." I greeted numbly. "What are we still doing near this godforsaken island?"

"It's not that bad." Jack defended.

"It's filled with cannibals who attacked us and tried to eat us."

"Okay, maybe it is that bad." Jack said sheepishly. "The reason we're still here is so that I can talk to someone. That was why we came to the island in the first place. We just got a little side tracked."

"A little?"

"Stop doing that. Do you want to come or not?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Who do you have to speak to?

"An old friend of mine."

"In other words a person who will most likely try to kill you." I stated bluntly.

"Not all of my friends are like that, Jason."

"Most of them are."

Jack glared at me. "You're not riding with me in the longboats."

"Oh no, Jack I'm so sorry I didn't mean to insult my captain. Please, I will do anything to ride with you in the longboat." I said sarcastically. In an added effect I got on my knees and grabbed Jack's feet. Pintel and Ragetti were cracking up.

When I stood up Jack was still glaring at me. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

"Yeah, pretty much." I said and smiled. Jack walked away towards the railing where the longboats were being lowered. He, Cotton, and some others got in the first one. Will, Marty, Gibbs, Pintel, Ragetti and I got in the other one. I sat near Marty towards the front. Gibbs and Will sat in the back while Pintel and Ragetti got the job of rowing.

We stayed behind Jack's boat the entire time. The landscape was very jungle-y and the water was a murky brown. Towering canopy blocked the remaining sunlight of the day. All in all, it was quite spooky. There was also the fact that cannibals may be hiding in the bushes waiting to jump out at us.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" Will asked in a whisper, ending the silence.

"Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast that is said to do the biding of Davy Jones." I leaned in closer so I could hear better. Stories about Davy Jones were some of my favorites. Mom used to tell me stories like that before I went to bed. Even though they were just a legend I loved hearing stories about his pet. "A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that will suction your face clean off and drag entire ships down to the crushing darkness." Gibbs paused to let the words sink in. "The kraken." Ragetti stopped rowing and I heard Marty turn around.

"They say the stench of its breath…" Gibbs shuddered. "Imagine, the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses." Gibbs saw everyone's frightened expression. "If you believe such things." he added jokingly.

"And the key will spare him that?" Will asked.

"Spare him what? It's just a story. My mom used to tell it to me all the time. The kraken exists as much as mermaids or zombies do." I said. "Nothing but legend."

Gibbs scoffed. "That's the very question that Jack wants answered. Even bad enough to visit her." he almost hissed that last word.

"Her?" Will asked.

"Aye."

The rest of the trip was in silence. The quiet churning of the water from the paddles and the buzzing of flies was the only noise. It barely kept me sane. At one point I thought I saw a reptilian creature in the water. _Probably a crocodile. Or is it an alligator? Crocodile or alligator? _I pondered the question before finally speaking up. "Do alligators or crocodiles live in these waters?"

"I think alligators. Why?" Gibbs asked.

"No reason. The thought just popped into my mind." I said, not making eye contact. Gibbs let it go, thankfully. I didn't want to tell everyone I had seen an alligator. That would only increase their worries.

Pretty soon we came up to some houses. They were built on stilts so they suspended over the water. One man was standing on his front porch. He stared at us as we passed by. I shivered inwardly. _Creeper_. We passed by some other houses but no one asked us what we were doing. I suspected that strangers are meant to be left alone.

Finally, we stopped in front of one hut. I got out after Marty. Jack was already standing on the makeshift dock. "Don't worry, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves we are…were…have been…before." Jack sounded like he was trying convince himself as much as us.

"I'll watch your back." Gibbs assured.

"It's me front I'm worried about." Jack countered and walked up the steps to the hut.

"Mind the boats." Gibbs told Will and followed his captain.

"Mind the boats." Will told Pintel and the chain went on. I walked on ahead of Will to avoid being left behind. Turned out that responsibility went to Cotton. Even his parrot left him alone.

Jack was cautious when he opened the door. He slowly pushed it open and crouched-walked through the doorway. I rolled my eyes. "Some 'friend' of yours, Jack." I said mockingly. The captain shushed me and kept walking.

Apparently, the occupant of the hut heard me. "Jack Sparrow." A voice said. I walked past Gibbs and stood next to Jack. The hut was decorated with a lot of odd things. There were jars filled with leaves, plants, and even body parts. I did a double take when I saw a jar filled with ears, human ears. _Oh no. Not again._ A white snake was coiled up on a branch near the door. It hissed at us as we walked by. Sitting at a table facing the door was a woman. She had dark skin and dark, dreadlocked hair. Like Jack, she had odd trinkets woven into her hair. Her face was also oddly painted. All in all, she scared me.

"Tia Dalma." Jack greeted and, gaining more confidence, straightened up and walked towards her.

The woman got up from her chair walked towards us. "I always knew de wind would one day blow you back to me." her voice had a thick Jamaican accent. I found it fit her appearance well. She stroked Jack's beard.

When Tia Dalma saw Will she pushed Jack away and walked towards him. "You," she started. That got Will's attention. "You 'ave a touch of destiny about you, William Turner."

"You know me?" Will asked.

"You want to know me?" she reached up to touch Will's face.

"I did not need to hear that." I remarked.

Jack ran in between Will and Tia Dalma. "There will be no knowing here. We came for help and we're not leaving without it." he put his arm around her shoulder and led her away. "I thought I knew you."

"I definitely did not need to hear that." I said again.

"You should learn to keep your thoughts to yourself, Jason Barbossa." Tia Dalma said rather sternly.

I stiffened. "How do you know me?"

"You do not look that much different from your fader. Come." she gestured for us to sit at the table.

"Oh." I muttered and continued walking into the hut. I sat across from Will at the other side of the table.

"What service can I do you?" Tia Dalma asked Will, lovingly stroking his face. I snickered Will's confused expression. "You know I demand payment." she snapped at Jack.

"I brought payment." Jack said, almost too happily. He gestured and Pintel and Ragetti brought out a cloth covered cage. Jack dramatically threw the cloth of the cage revealing the creature in side. I jumped up out of my chair when I saw Lil'Jack in it. "Look! An undead monkey!" Jack shot the capuchin. The poor thing cowered away from the gun. "Top that."

"No!" I shouted. All eyes turned to me. "Jack is officially my monkey. I decide what we do with him and my decision is not giving him away to your ex-girlfriend!" Tia Dalma looked amused. She opened the cage and let Lil'Jack out.

"No, you have no idea how long t took us to catch that." Gibbs groaned. Lil'Jack ran out of the cage and climbed onto my shoulder. He sat there for a moment, jumped off and ran to the back of the hut. I stared after my furry friend wondering what he was up to.

"De payment is fair." Tia Dalma said. She sat down and looked at me like she knew something I didn't.

"Calm down, Jason. It's just a monkey." Jack said. I glared at him. _That's why you were so eager for me to go to sleep._ _You didn't want me to interfere with your plan._ _I hate you, Sparrow. _I slowly sat back down in my chair.

Will brought out the drawing of the key. "We need to find this and what it goes to." Tia looked at the cloth and turned to Jack.

"De compass you bartered from me, it can not lead you to dis?" her tone was harsh and mocking.

"Maybe. Why?" Jack asked uncertainly. He was holding a hat in his hands. A black, peacock feathered hat. My eyes widened slightly when I recognized it.

Tia Dalma started laughing. "Ahh, Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants. Or ya do know but loath to claim it as your own." she said smugly. "Your key go to a chest, and it is what lay inside the chest dat you seek, don't it?"

"What is inside?" Gibbs asked.

"Gold? Jewels? Unclaimed property of a valuable nature?" Pintel asked excitedly.

"Yes, because we all know what happens when we take legendary treasure. Great fun last time." I said sarcastically. As usual, everyone ignored my comment.

"Nothing bad, I hope." Ragetti said nervously. He was staring at a jar full of eyes.

"You know of Davy Jones?" Tia asked.

"Nothing but legend and myth. Bedtime stories for an adventurous mind." I said bluntly, killing the mysterious mood.

"Sometimes it is de most unbelievable tales dat come to life, young Barbossa." Tia said slyly. I eyed her suspiciously. She went back to her story. "A man of de sea, a great sailor. Until he run afoul of dat which vexes all men."

"What vexes all men?" Will asked.

Tia touched his hand. "What indeed?"

"Why, the sea." Gibbs offered.

"Sums?" supplied Pintel.

"The dichotomy of good and evil?" Ragetti asked. We all stared at him.

"What?" I asked.

"A woman." Jack said like it was obvious.

"A woman." Tia agreed. "He fell in love."

"No, no, no, I heard it was the sea he fell in love with." Gibbs protested.

"Same story, different version but all are true. You see, it was a woman as changing and harsh and untamable as de sea. 'Im never stop loving her. But de pain it caused 'im was too much to live wid, but not enough to cause 'im to die."

"What exactly did he put in the chest?" Will asked.

"Ooh, I love this part." I murmured to myself.

Tia leaned close to Will. "'Im heart."

"Literally or figuratively?" Ragetti asked.

"He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest." Pintel countered, but then turned and raised an eyebrow at Tia. "Could he?"

"It was not wort' feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings. And so 'im carve out 'im heart, lock it away in a chest and hide de chest from de world. De key," she nodded at the drawing. "He keep wid 'im at all times."

Will stood up and got in Jack's face. "You knew this."

"I did not. I did not know where the key was. Now we do. So all that's left is to climb aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, grab the key, find the heart, stab the beating thing, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, okay?" Jack's voice got high pitched at that last word. He tried to walk away but Tia stopped him.

"Let me see your hand." she demanded. Jack stopped and held out his left hand. Tia gave him a look. He sighed and held out the other. Tia began to unwrap the cloth around Jack's hand. Underneath it was a black spot. It wasn't dirt or any other normal substance. It looked like at was a pool of ink on Jack hand that kept swirling around, refusing to come off.

"The black spot!" Gibbs shrieked. He wiped his hands on his vest, turned around in a circle and spat on the ground. Pintel and Ragetti copied his movement. I rolled my eyes. _Superstitious gouts. _

"My eyesight's as good as ever, just so you know." Jack said.

Tia Dalma went into the back of the hut. Looking where she went I saw a pair of black boots lying on the bed. Lil'Jack was sitting near them. I was about to investigate when Tia came out. "Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot set foot on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, so you must carry land wid you."

Jack took what she was holding. I nearly laughed at the absurdity of it. "Dirt. This is a jar of dirt." Jack stated.

"Yes." Tia confirmed.

"Is the jar of dirt going to help?"

"If you don't want it give it back."

Jack hugged the jar. "No." I snickered at Jack's childness.

"Then it helps."

Will intervened. "It seems we have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman._"

Tia Dalma sat down and poured out a bag of crab claws on the table. She took them in her hands. "A touch of destiny." she threw the claws on the table. I don't know what that did to help but she gave us coordinates.

We began to walk out the door when Tia Dalma called me back. "I would like a word wid you, Jason." I flinched and looked at Jack. He shrugged and walked out the door. _Fat lot of help you are._ I gave Will and Gibbs pleading a pleading look. They looked sorry but they did nothing. "Come." Tia said. Sighing, I turned around and walked back into the hut.

* * *

**Hmmm, what do you think Tia wants to talk about? How will Jason react to seeing his favorite story character come to life? You decide! Not really, I just love hearing/reading what you guys and gals think. **

**Until next week, enjoy this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Shipwreck in a Storm

Being alone in the hut made it even creepier. There was no quiet murmuring or shuffling feet, except mine, just silence. Tia Dalma gestured for me to come closer. I took one step then stopped. There was something about the look in her eyes that made her hard to completely trust so I kept my distance. "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Tia Dalma sat down at the table. "You 'ave a difficult path set before you, Barbossa."

"Just call me Jason, please. Whenever someone calls me Barbossa I think that they're talking about him and not me."

Tia smiled. "Alright den, Jason, you must be cautious."

"I'm always cautious." Tia gave me a look. "Okay, not always but most of the time I am. Do I have to be cautious when facing Jones?"

"I cannot tell you when. Just make sure to speak wisely. Dat smart mouth will get you into trouble one day." _Oh great, I've heard that before._

"Right, I'll just do that." I started walking around the hut. My eyes fell on Barbossa's hat. "Anything else?"

"You 'ave a question for me." it was not stated as a question. _Okay, you can read my mind. That's creepy._

"Why do you have my father's hat?" Tia didn't answer. I walked over and pick up the feathered hat. "This belonged to Barbossa. I recognize it."

"Der are many hats in the world, Jason."

"Yeah, and this one's Barbossa's. How could you have it? His body was left on the Isla de Muerta and that was claimed by the sea."

"All in good time. Now you must go."

"No. Not until you answer my question. And another thing, why would Lil'Jack want to stay here? He doesn't take kindly to strangers and he knows that I'm his master." Tia gave me a smile and stood up from the table. She walked over to me. I was about the same height as her maybe even a bit taller. I grinned inwardly, knowing that one day I was going to be taller. Hopefully much taller.

"You will get your answers when you see me again."

"Not good enough." I said stubbornly. "When will that be?"

"Your captain and crew are waiting for you." she gestured towards the door. "You will see me again soon. Dat's all I can say."

I glared at her for a few more seconds then turned around in a huff. "Jason," Tia Dalma called. I stopped walking. "Leave de hat here." _So close._ I placed the hat on a table and walked out.

Jack and the others were waiting for me. I got in the boat with Pintel and Ragetti. "What was that all about?" Pintel asked.

I shook my head. "No idea."

"I don't trust her." Pintel mumbled as we started heading back down the river. "That look in her eyes creeps me out."

"Aye." Ragetti agreed quietly.

"Well at least she could lead us to Jones." I whispered. "Although, that jar of dirt thing is pretty weird. Who gives someone a jar of dirt for protection?"

"Crazy voodoo ladies?" Ragetti offered. The three of us snickered a bit. The rest of the ride was quiet except for the buzzing of bugs and rustle of leaves. At one point I thought I saw the alligator again. It disappeared underwater before I could get a good look.

When we got back to the _Pearl_ Jack and Gibbs went to go set the course. Jack was hugging the jar of dirt. I was starting to feel concerned for his sanity. But, then again, Jack had always been insane. Will was standing near the railing looking out into the ocean. I walked up next to him. "How's it going?"

"My fiancé is in jail sentenced to hang and I'm out here sailing with a notorious pirate who is looking for a key so he can save his own skin when all I need from him is a compass." Will ranted. "It's not going very well."

"Well, at least you have me for company." I grinned cheerfully. Will cast me a sideways glance. "Come on, Will. It's not that bad. As soon as you get the key you can go back to Port Royal and marry Elizabeth."

"How do we know that there is even a key or a chest?" Will asked. "Davy Jones is a ghost story."

"So are walking skeletons but we saw those about a year ago. Hell, I'm even related to one." I joked. Will didn't find it very funny. "Who's to say Jones isn't real? There are a lot of crazy things in this mad world."

Will sighed. "You're right, Jason. On the plus side, it probably can't get any worse than this." at that moment the sky started to thunder. Rain began trickling down from the clouds. It soon turned into a heavy down pour. The waves crashed and I was soaked to the bone.

"Rule number one: You never say 'It can't get any worse' because chances are the gods are listening and they want to prove you wrong." I told Will rather coldly.

"Sorry." Will said. We stood there for a while longer before I began helping with the sails. We had to pull in the lesser sails leaving only the main sail out. Because of the strong wind that's all we needed to move the ship. Plus, the _Pearl_ doesn't need that much wind to move fast. Two or three hours later Jack called me over to the port railing.

He pointed out into the storm. "There. That's what we're looking for." In the distance I could see a ship. It looked broken and wrecked. Will was standing with us.

"That's the _Flying Dutchman_?" he asked. He had to shout to be heard over the rain and wind. Jack was standing with Gibbs behind us. He nodded and looked at his hand. Will shrugged. "She doesn't look like much."

"Neither do you." Jack stated and walked up next to me. "Do not underestimate her." he elbowed Gibbs in the stomach.

"Must've run afoul of the reef." the first mate grunted.

"What's the plan?" I asked Will.

"I row over and search the ship until I find that bloody key."

"Wait, what is this 'I' you speak of? I'm going with you." Will started to protest but I cut him off. "You need someone to watch your back and I'm one of the best swordsmen on this ship. Plus, if you don't let me on the longboat I'll swim after you." Will smiled and nodded.

"What if there are crewmen?" Jack asked.

"We cut down anyone in our path." Will replied.

Jack shrugged. "I like it. Simple, easy to remember."

Will started down the ladder to the longboat that Ragetti had got ready. I soon followed after. "Your chariot awaits you, sires!" Ragetti mocked with a laugh. I glared at him though it was probably hard to see through the dark and rain. The longboat rocked wildly on the waves.

"Oi!" Jack called over the railing. "If you do happened to get captured just say that Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt! Might save your lives!"

"Bon voyage!" Ragetti called again. I probably would've laughed had it not been so freaking cold.

Will took the oars and made his way to the wrecked ship. "Jack made a debt with Jones?" I asked over the wind.

"Apparently." Will answered. "I was hoping you would have more detail."

I shook my head. "I didn't know. He probably made it before we met him." if I had learned anything from the stories is to never make a deal with Jones. He always asks for your soul in return no matter what the deal is. My eyes widened as the thought crossed my mind. "Curse you, Sparrow."

"What?"

"He made a bargain with Jones and Jones always asks for your soul. That's the debt we settle if we get caught. Unless we find the key and come back, Jack sent us to our deaths." Will scowled but kept rowing towards the ship.

"Then I guess we'll have to find the key and get back to the ship."

"Guess so." I said with a shrug. _This is going to be an interesting night._

We finally got close enough to the ship to tie up the long boat and hop off. Since the ship was half submerged we had to wade through waist deep through the black water to get to the broken deck. It didn't matter, though because we were already soaking wet from the rain. The ship, I noticed, looked like it was cut in half. The bow and stern both pointed towards the sky and the main deck was in the water.

Will took the lantern off the boat and walked onto the ship. I drew my swords in preparation and followed him. "This is kind of creepy." I said. Will nodded and kept walking. Suddenly he ran ahead.

"Hey!" he called. I ran after him. As I caught up I saw what he had started at. There was a man pulling on the ropes that look like it used to raise a sail. He was hysterical and kept mumbling to himself. His hands glistened red in the pale light of the lantern. "Sailor! It's not use, you've run aground." Will informed the man.

The man looked startled. He shook his head. "No. Beneath us. Foul breath." the poor guy looked terrified. I gave him a confused look.

"You've been at the rum, mate?" I asked. Will hit my arm and shushed me. Behind us I heard something splash. A loud thud soon followed after it. I turned around as Will rushed past me. He hung the lantern on a hook. The thing that landed on the deck was a person. He crawled up the slanted deck. I rushed over to help Will flip him on his back. When we turned him over both Will and I jumped back with a startled cry. The man had no face! Not even eye sockets or a hole for his mouth. Gibbs words echoed in my head: _Tentacles that will suction your face clean off._

The thought barely crossed my mind before something erupted out of the water. I turned around to find a tall ship, colored green with algae and seaweed, floating behind us. Water cascaded off the deck and through the cannon windows. "What the heck?" I asked. Will looked as stunned as I felt. He ran and jumped onto the railing to get a better look.

Then all around us monstrous creatures seemed to melt out of the wood. They looked humanoid but their features were something entirely different. Most of them looked like something off a coral reef. The rest looked half sea creature half human. One of them was a mixture of a hammer head shark and a lobster. I jumped as they suddenly appeared.

"Get down on your barrow bones and pray!" one creature ordered at Will. He jumped off the railing and drew his sword. I followed in suit and started attacking the creatures around me. Soon Will and I were back to back fending off the creatures that had surrounded us.

Will stuck his sword in a barrel then smashed it against the lantern. It instantly caught on fire so I guess the barrel was full of an alcoholic liquid. He held the sword out in front of him to keep the monstrosities away. One of them got cocky and walked too close to the sword. Will cut open his gut. Fish and weird, gooey liquid spilled out of the creature. His skin sizzled at the touch of the flame but he didn't die.

While I was distracted one of the creatures came up behind me and slammed something into the back of my head. "Jason!" I heard Will cry before I fell to the ground. My eyes were closed but I wasn't completely unconscious. I could barely move because of the pain in my head but I could hear what went on around me. I heard a loud smack then a thud as Will crumpled to the ground next to me. One of the fish people roughly picked me up and sat me down on a crate. I leaned on the railing to keep from falling down.

When I regained complete consciousness I opened my eyes and looked around. Will was sitting next to me and the rest of the wrecked ship's crew was lined up with us. The fish creatures surrounded us. They sneered and laughed. One man, the same who was pulling the rope, was shaking. He seemed absolutely terrified. Even if it didn't show, my heart was racing and I felt as scared as the man looked. A sound hit my ears making me jump slightly. _Thunk, thunk, thunk._

* * *

**So sorry about the incredibly long wait. This chapter is like two weeks late! I went on vacation over spring break so I had no access to my desktop computer which is where I write all this. Anyway, leave a review in the section down below. I love hearing from you guys. I promise the next chapter will be up before next week.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Captain of Crabs, Octopi and Other Fishy Creatures

I looked over and saw another fishy creature walking up the wrecked ship. The rest of the monsters backed away from him respectfully indicating he had the authority of the group. The shark-lobster with a hammer head shark head and a lobster back, Hammer Head I decided to call him, spoke to his leader. "Six men still alive. The rest have moved on." the creature walked up the line of crewmen sitting in front of him. Every other step made a _thunk _sound on the deck.

The lead monster gradually came into light so I could see him better. I cringed when I saw his face. He had an octopus head and a tentacle beard. No nose. An algae covered tri-corner hat was on top of his head. Instead of a right human leg he had a crab leg and a crab claw where his left arm should be. The other arm was all tentacle-y. He had on a long, green coat that was also covered in algae. I decided to call him Tentacle Brains.

Tentacle Brains walked down the line and stopped in front of the man that Will and I first encountered. He leaned in so his face was inches from the crewman's. The captain took out a pipe and lit it. As he blew out the smoke he breathed in he spoke to the frightened crewman. "Do ya fear death?" Tentacle Brains had a thick Scottish accent. It was kind of creepy but interesting to listen to. "Do ya fear the dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare. All your sins punished. I can offer you an escape."

"Don't listen to him!" another crewmember said. Tentacle Brains glared at him and walked over. He grabbed the man's neck with his crab claw hand.

"Do you not fear death?" he asked and put the pipe in his mouth.

"I'll take my chances, sir." the crewmember said literally shaking from head to toe.

"To the depths, then." the creatures laughed at the order and one of them slit the man's throat. I turned my head to look away but heard the splash as they threw his body into the ocean.

"Cruel blooded!" one crewman spat.

"Life is cruel." Tentacle stated. "Why should the after life be any different?" he turned back to the frightened man. "Join my crew. A hundred years before the dark. Will ye serve?"

"I will serve."

Tentacle laughed. "Well then." it finally hit me. I knew who he was and I knew his ship. _Tentacle Brains is Davy Jones! The ship behind us_ _is the _Flying Dutchman! _God, I'm thick._ To give myself some credit I had just been knocked on the head so I was a little out of it.

Jones walked past Will and me with a glance. He stopped and did a double take. "You two are neither dead nor dying!"

"Gee, thanks, mate." I muttered quietly. Will nudged me warningly.

"What is your purpose here?" Jones asked. I glanced at Will.

"Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt." he said quickly.

Jones took a step back. "What is your purpose here?" he asked again.

"Jack Sparrow? He sent us to settle his debt."

Jones was quiet then started laughing. "Did he now? I sorry I can't accept that offer." he turned around and stared out into the black night. The _Black Pearl_ isn't called the _**Black **__Pearl _for nothing. It blended in almost perfectly with the night. Plus the lights were out. But Jones stared at the exact spot that the _Black Pearl_ was supposed to be floating. The only reason I saw the faint outline was because I knew it was there.

Jones suddenly disappeared. It was like he melted into the wood. The fish people started laughing and followed their captain's example. Most of them melted into the wood while others stayed behind to guard us. I stared wide eyed at the floor half expecting more fish people to jump out of it.

"How the hell do you do that?" I asked one of the fish people. He was more like a coral reef than a sea creature. He laughed and sneered in my direction.

"One of the advantages of being undead." he said.

"That doesn't really answer my question." I murmured. "Wait, you're undead?" The fish person laughed again, answering my question. "Well that sucks."

"Did you think we were going to fight and kill our way out of this mess?" Will asked quietly.

I shrugged. "Yeah, sort of. Plus I don't like dealing with the undead. They're bloody annoying to fight."

Will nodded in agreement. We stayed quiet after that. One of the crewmen scooted closer to me and whispered in my ear. "Why are you here?"

"We saw the wrecked ship and decided to look for survivors." I lied. In retrospect it was kind of the truth. We were looking for survivors it's just that the key was more important. Well, it was at the time. Right then it seemed like getting out alive was more important. "What happened to your ship?" I asked the crewman.

He opened his mouth to answer but the fish person interrupted. "No talking, prisoners!" he raised his whip to threaten us. The crewman cowered away from him and scooted away from me. I glared at the one with the whip.

"Where did the other fish people go?" I asked.

Whip stepped closer to me. "You ask too many questions for your own good."

"Where did they go?" I repeated.

Whip hesitated. "The captain went to converse with Jack Sparrow. He will probably be joining us soon." he chuckled darkly. I glanced at Will. He was staring at the floor like there was nothing more interesting in the world.

It stayed quiet for a few more minutes. I didn't want to try out my luck by angering Whip (Whip is what I decided to call the fish person with the whip. I know, creative, right?). He didn't seem like the type to be trifled with.

The fish people melted out of the wood again. I didn't jump like I did last time but it was still creepy. Jones walked up to me and Will. "Your captain has decided his life is more important than yours."

"Gee, that's a shocker." I said sarcastically. "Sparrow valued his life more than ours? That never happens."

Jones sneered at me then walked up to Hammer Head. "Will the rest serve?"

Hammer Head glanced at Whip. He shook his head. Hammer Head turned back to Jones. "No."

"Then it's the depths for them except for the lad, the boy and the one who already sold his soul."

I leaned over to Will. "Who's the lad and who's the boy?"

"I think he means us." Will answered quietly. I could barely hear him.

"I know but am I the lad or are you the lad?"

"Does it really matter, Jason?"

"Not really."

"Then stop worrying about it. We're about to become crew on the _Flying Dutchman_. There are more important things to be concerned about. Our lives, for example." Will snapped. His eyes widened as I heard the sound of blades hitting flesh. I didn't turn around to look because I knew what happened.

"Get them onto the ship!" Hammer Head ordered. One fish person roughly grabbed my elbow and pulled me to my feet. I cringed at his face. Actually it wasn't a face, at least not a human face. The man had the head of an eel. His eyes were black and his nose was two slits like a snake. He hissed at me showing his sharp teeth that were perfect for tearing my head off.

Will was grabbed by another fish person and we were hauled off. It seemed that Eel was heading directly towards the wooden door leading towards a cabin. The door wasn't open and it looked like Eel had no intention of opening it. "Um, that's a wall." I informed him. He grinned a toothy grin and walked faster. I expected to run right into the wall but I passed right through like it was an illusion. It felt like my whole body became a liquid for a few seconds.

I froze where I stood. My mouth hung open. Eel let go of my arm and walked off. Will was standing next to me. He looked just as shocked as I probably did. I blinked a couple of times trying to figure things out.

I looked over my body to make sure nothing was missing. "Legs?" I grabbed my leg. "Yes. Chest?" I looked down at my chest. "Check. Arms, hands, fingers. Ooh, lots of fingers." I waved my fingers in front of my face. Giving Will a side glance I noticed he was staring at me weirdly. I put my hands down then rubbed my face to feel if everything was there. "Eyes, nose, mouth, chin, cheeks…ears, hair. Stylish green vest, shirt, pants, boots, am I missing anything?" Will opened his mouth but I interrupted. "Feet!" I exclaimed and looked down. "Good, they're still there. Toes?" I wiggled my toes. "Yup."

"Weapons?" Will suggested.

"Weapons!" I reached up for my swords and grabbed air. My pistol and knife were gone as well. "No weapons. You?"

Will shook his head.

"We're screwed."

"Stop lollygagging, you two, and get to work!" a fish person shouted. I jumped at the sound. Will sucked in a deep breath and walked out of the little area we were in. I was so busy checking to see if anything body parts were missing that I never looked at my surrounding. We were under a little overhang. Above us fish people were walking but it looked more like a pathway than a deck.

I joined Will and inspected the rest of the ship. I was right about the walkway. It made easy passage from the bow to the stern. The area we were in was like a main deck but you didn't have to go down stairs to get below. You just had to walk straight under the awning and there you were. It seemed as if the center was dug out or something. I could see the open sky from where I stood.

The wood was a dark, spooky green color. Probably from all the algae and seaweed that covered the ship. The _Dutchman_ was a big ship. Much larger than the _Pearl_ and I could tell that just from where I stood. The dug out main deck had stairs that led up to another deck area that led up to the helm. "Despite the fact that it's crewed by fish people and captained by Davy Jones this is a pretty cool ship. Give it a new paint job and it would look fantastic." I said.

"Always looking for the positives, aren't you, Jason?" Will asked with a smile.

"Yup. It keeps me happy."

Newcomers!" a fish person yelled. He had barnacles all over his head. I decide to call him Barnacle Brains. "Get to work! The only reason you're still alive is because you have a bargain with Jones. If it wasn't for that you'd be dead in seconds. You hear me?" Will and I nodded simultaneously. "Good. Now make way!"

Will and I scuttled off to do some work. "This should be interesting." Will muttered.

"You just figured that out?"

* * *

**How do you think Jason will like it on the **_**Flying Dutchman**_**? BTW there is a Doctor Who quote in this chapter. It's from the first Matt Smith episode. If you know what it is then good on ya and tell me in the reviews. If you don't find it then write a review anyway. I love hearing from you guys!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Punishments on the _Dutchman_

The _Flying Dutchman _is a hard place to fit into if you're not a fish person. I stuck with Will the entire time. Wherever he went I went. Not that I was scared or anything. I just wanted to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.

My first night I didn't get a whole lot of sleep. The hammocks were cold, wet and just down right uncomfortable. Plus Barnacle Brains was sleeping jus to my left. That made me a bit edgy and the guy snores louder than a drunk. Because of all the time I had to think I made a vow. If I ever saw Jack Sparrow again he will pay for what he did. I spent most of the night thinking of ways to torture and punish him. _Maybe I could team up with Jones and help send the kraken upon him. _I shook the thought from my head. I wasn't that cruel. Sure I hated Jack but no one deserves that fate.

The next day it was drizzling and cold. The fish people didn't seem to mind or notice for that matter. They laughed at Will and me for shivering and trying to get out of the rain. We spent the entire day working. I barely got a break. Towards evening an eerie song started to echo through the ship. It had a sad tune about it which didn't really lighten the mood. I asked Eel about it and he said that Jones had a pipe organ in his cabin. When it's played you can hear it throughout the entire ship.

The song was definitely sad but it creeped me out a bit. I thought about why Jones would play such an eerie tune. _Well, his girlfriend broke up with him, he cut out his heart and locked it away in a chest and he can't set foot on land but once every ten years. Oh, and he's a mutant octopus-crab-thing. Jeez, I almost feel bad for the guy. Almost._

As the evening past the rain came down harder and harder. I was freezing, wet and hungry. There wasn't a lot to eat and what there was wasn't appetizing. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Night came and I was exhausted.

The officers had us pulling up a cannon from below deck to the main deck. The rain got in my eyes, preventing me from seeing clearly. The only thing I knew was that Will was next to me and my arms were tired. The line suddenly jerked forward. I kept a hold but it jerked me forward as well as Will.

"Secure the mast tangle, Mr. Turner!" Whip shouted. I learned he was the bosun of the ship. He carried his whip everywhere with him. One of the fish people warned me not to anger him because "his bite is worse than his bark".

I nodded at Will and he raced off to do as told. I tried to keep the rope steady but a minute later the cannon dropped. The rope shot out my hands giving me a nasty burn. "Ah!" I cried and let go. The canon crashed onto the deck. Most of the fish people fell to the floor because they didn't let go of the rope. Some of then fell back because of the crash.

I ran up to where I thought I saw Will go. He was lying on the ground. The bosun was already there along with some of the crew. "Haul that weevil to his feet!" he ordered. The crew complied and forced Will up. He staggered to his feet and the fish people made him turn his back to Whip. "Five lashes to remind you to stay on it!" Whip shouted and raised his whip. One of the crewman grabbed his arm. "No!" he shouted. I noticed he was less fishy than the rest of the crew. Only barnacles covered his clothes and a starfish was stuck to his face.

"Impeding me of my duties?" Whip asked menacingly. "You'll share the punishment."

"I'll take it all." _Who the heck is this guy?_

"Will you now?" Jones came up behind Whip. "And what would prompt such an act of charity?"

The crewman looked back at Will. "My son. He's my son." I looked at the crewman. Will struggled to turn around. _That's Bootstrap? _

Jones looked from Bootstrap to Will and back to Bootstrap. He started to laugh. "What fortune the circumstance be this. Five lashed be owed, I believe." Jones held out his hand. Whip gave him the whip then Jones held out the whip to Bootstrap.

He shook his head. "No. No I won't."

"The cat's out of the bag, Mr. Turner! The punishment will be issued by the bosun's hand or your own."

Bootstrap shook his head. "No."

Jones held the whip to the bosun. "Bosun!"

"No!" Bootstrap snatched the whip out of his captain's hand. Will's shirt was ripped open so his back was exposed. Bootstrap brought back his arm a then down again. The whip slashed across Will's back leaving a thin red line. I flinched. _This is cruel_.

Will was whipped again. I saw the pained look on Bootstrap's face. He whipped his son again. Again, I flinched at the sound. My eyes closed as Bootstrap brought back his arm again. I couldn't take it any more.

"Stop!" I shouted and got in between Will and Bootstrap. I could feel the rain pelting down on my back. Bootstrap stopped mid-swing and stared at my enraged expression. I turned away from him and faced Jones. "I should take part of the punishment. I couldn't hold the rope to keep the cannon steady." it was a lame excuse, I know, but it was the only thing I could think of. The more logical part of my mind was cursing my name.

Jones looked taken back by my outburst. He smirked. "Is it that so?" I nodded. "What's your name, boy?"

"Jason Barbossa."

Jones nodded. "Well if you insist. One lash should suffice." he grabbed the whip from Bootstrap's hand. I glanced at the crewman and smirked. The bosun took his weapon. The fish people grabbed my arms. Whip didn't even give me time to turn around before he brought the whip down on me.

A sharp pain went down from the bottom of my neck across my chest to the end of my torso. I clenched my teeth to keep from crying out and kneeled on the deck. It felt like the flesh was strpped from my bones. Blood dripped onto the deck. The dark red added a nice color contrast to the slimy green wood. The fish people grabbed my arms and hauled me to my feet.

"Is that all you got, you slimy, tentacle-bearded git?" I taunted. Again, the logical part of my brain metaphorically slapped its forehead.

Jones grabbed my neck with his crab claw. I choked. "You want to say that again, boy?" his grip tightened as he said it.

I choked out a barely audible "No." Jones let go of my neck. I almost crumpled to the deck but the fish people dragged me to the stairs. They threw me down. I stumbled, slipped and crash landed on my face. Will landed next to me.

"You had it easy, boy!" one crewman shouted. I recognized the voice as Hammer Head's. "Not so much you, Barbossa!" he spat my name.

Bootstrap came down the stairs. "Will," he started.

"I don't need your help!" Will interrupted. I managed to get to my knees. Will pulled me to my feet.

"The bosun prides himself by cleaning flesh from bone with every swing." Bootstrap said.

"Yeah, I know." I said through clenched teeth. My legs were a bit shaky but I found that could stand with some support.

"So I'm to believe what you did was an act of compassion?" Will asked angrily.

"Yes." there was a few seconds of awkward silence. I quickly interrupted it.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. It's not like my chest was ripped open or anything by the 'man' who can clean flesh from bone." I said sarcastically. Will put my arm over his shoulder and tried to help me walk.

"You're an idiot, Jason. You know that right?" Will asked.

I gave him a half-smile. "Yeah."

"Follow me." Bootstrap said and walked off. Will followed without question. Every step for me was a step of agony. I couldn't even fathom how Will managed to walk and hold me up. He got lashed more times than I did.

Bootstrap led us to a dry area below deck. He gestured to a barrel. I quickly sat down and I looked down at my chest to see the damage. My shirt was ripped and stained with blood. What was once white was now a dark crimson. Somehow my vest escaped damage and was still its dark green color.

"I need to clean the cut so it doesn't get infected." Bootstrap said. He had a cloth and a bottle dark liquid. I guessed it was some sort of alcohol. _Probably rum_. Bootstrap was facing Will and I realized he was speaking to him and not me. He poured the rum over Will's back. Will cringed and sucked in a deep breath. Bootstrap handed him a shirt and stepped in front of me. "Your turn."

"Oh joy." I muttered sarcastically and took off my vest. I delicately took off my shirt so as not to touch the cut. My chest was stained red and the cut looked worse than it had before. There was the slightest hint of white showing from the gash but I figured that was just my wild imagination.

Bootstrap poured the rum over my chest. It burned like someone had set my skin on fire. My hands clasped into fists and my nails almost dug into my hands. Bootstrap stopped pouring and gave me the cloth. "Here, see if can wipe off some of the blood. I'll try and find you a clean shirt." He walked off.

"Your dad's interesting." I told Will when Bootstrap left. He nodded in agreement. I tried to wipe off the blood but I was pretty unsuccessful. It ended in me ripping up the clean-ish parts of my shirt and wrapped it around my chest. It worked pretty well. _At least the blood doesn't flow freely._ By the time I finished Bootstrap came back with a dark grey shirt.

"Thanks." I said and put it on. I threw on my vest as well.

"So you're Barbossa's son?" Bootstrap asked.

I stood up and looked at him. "Yup."

"Thought you looked familiar."

"I get that a lot. Although I think I'm much better looking than him. Wouldn't you agree?" Will smiled at my cockiness.

"Yeah, you're Barbossa's son." Bootstrap said and walked away. Will shrugged and followed him.

Bootstrap led me and Will down below decks. It was definitely drier and a bit warmer down here. I got goose bumps as the warm air hit my skin, hopefully drying it off. "Losing us we were." Bootstrap's voice interrupted my thought. "Until…until you end up like poor Wyvern." he stopped walking and pointed at the wall. I could barely see the faint outline of what looked like a man. Well, fish person. It looked like he was attached to the wall. He was holding out a lantern.

"That's what happens when you stay on the _Dutchman_ too long?" I asked.

Bootstrap nodded. "Once you've sworn an oath there's no going back on it."

"Sparrow went back on his oath." I complained.

"He made a deal with Jones. If Jack gets ninety-nine souls in three days his debt will be settled."

"But we've sworn no oath." Will countered.

Bootstrap turned to him. "Then you must leave."

"Not without this." Will brought out the cloth with the drawing of the key on it. Wyvern opened his eyes.

"The dead man's chest." he said. I jumped when he started talking.

"You know of it?" Will asked.

"Find the chest and stab the heart. No, no, no, no, no, don't stab the heart. The _Dutchman _must have a captain. If there is no one to guard the chest than there is no one to have the key." the fish person sounded terrified.

"Where is the key?"

"Hidden."

"Where is the chest?"

"Hidden." Wyvern went back into his "sleeping state" and clammed up. (Ha, ha. Clammed up. Because he's a fish person…never mind.)

"Well that was interesting and only slightly creepy." I commented. "Does that happen often?"

"Not often. For most of us if someone says a certain word we wake up for a few minutes. Or if they our name." Bootstrap said. He kept walking past Wyvern. "You two should get some sleep. You've had a rough day."

"He's right. Maybe we should get some sleep." Will said and walked towards the forecastle.

"Who am I to argue?" I asked and followed him. When we got to the forecastle I chose a hammock and laid down on it. Will chose a hammock next to me. "Today was certainly an interesting day. You got to meet your father, feel the sting of a whip, watched a wall come to life." Will glanced at me.

"Yeah. Just an average day."

I smiled. "Isn't that the truth." I said and closed my eyes to try and get some sleep. I wasn't very successful due to the fact that my chest still hurt. Eventually I managed to drift off after what seemed like an eternity.

**Hello! Thanks for sticking with me, guys. For those of you who don't know the forecastle is the designated sleeping area for the crew on most tall ships. It is usually located below deck towards the front. If I'm wrong on the information please correct me. Also please leave a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Gambling with Your Life

The second I fell asleep I had a nightmare. Why couldn't my mind just let me sleep? I was exhausted! I don't even now how I could've had a nightmare because my brain felt completely wiped!

I was underwater just floating around. I realized it was a dream when I started "breathing". Plus, I didn't feel wet or cold. _Now I know how Barbossa and his crew felt when they were underwater._ There was no sea floor and I couldn't see the surface. Not even the occasional fish swam by. Nothing but a never ending murky blue/green vastness.

Soon, in the distance, I saw a figure. Then more and more started to appear out of the murk. They walked towards me. Not walked more like floated. It was a mixture of walking and swimming, I can't really describe it. As they got closer I began recognized their shape. The white bones looked grey in the dark water.

"Not more skeletons." I groaned. It was like talking on the surface. The words sounded completely clear and no bubbles came out of my mouth. The army of skeletons kept walking towards me. As they got closer their shape seemed to change. Flesh started growing on their bones, making them more human-like. But then the skin became a greenish/grayish color. Barnacles grew on some of their faces while other became sea creature hybrids. The one in the lead grew a tentacle beard, a crab arm and a crab leg.

I immediately reached for my swords and found they weren't there. Checking my belt, I noticed my pistol and swords were gone as well. The crab man "walked" right up to me. He grabbed my neck with his claw hand. I felt nothing but it was still terrifying.

"Do you fear death?" he asked with a laugh. His accent was a thick Scottish. I didn't answer. My tongue wasn't working. The crab man tightened the grip on my neck. There was no pain, just an uncomfortable amount of pressure. He laughed again and twisted his arm. I heard a powerful snap as my neck turned sharply to the side.

I gripped my neck as I woke up with a gasp. _It's still there. My neck is not broken. It was just a dream._ My comforting thoughts were useless. Sweat beaded down my brow as I looked around the room. I panicked slightly when I realized I wasn't on the _Pearl_. _Oh yeah, I'm on the _Dutchman.

Even though my neck was fine my chest hurt a lot. The pain started at my neck and went all the way across my chest to my hip. _Almost forgot about that._ I lifted my shirt to see if the cut was still bleeding. The wrapping around my chest was dark red, the color of dried blood. I breathed a sigh of relief and got up from my hammock.

A sharp pain shot up my chest as I stood up. I sucked in a sharp breath. All the "men" were still sleeping due to the fact that it was still dark out. It was incredibly cold even though it was usually warm this time of year in the Caribbean. I headed up the stairs, wincing with each step.

It no warmer above deck. The cold air seemed to go right through me. Dark gray clouds covered the sky making it all the darker. I shivered and walked over to the railing. The water was black, nothing like in my dream where the water was green.

My mind wandered to the deepest part of my memory, where I kept all those crazy stories. _Not so crazy now._ Stories about sea monsters and magic, about curses and gods, about the immortal and undead, all of them became fact in that moment. They ran through my head. I questioned the sanity of the world that day. It was crazy to think that creatures like fish people existed but there I was standing on their ship. My head hurt by the time I finished contemplating the world's existents.

I stayed on deck for the remainder of the night. As dawn arrived the fish people got up and went to work. Some of them sneered as they past me while others snickered like I was some joke. _Bloody gits._

The rest of the day was more or less peaceful. There was almost nothing to do. Throughout the day the clouds covered the sky making everything look gloomy. But then again it was always gloomy on the _Dutchman._

By midday, the fish people gathered around below deck and started playing a game. Will and I stood nearby and watched while Hammer Head, Barnacle Brains and another crewman I called Puffer (he looked like a puffer fish) play. They were in a circle on the floor. Each had about five dice and a cup. I had figured out it was a gambling game although the rules were still foggy to me.

They each picked up their dice and shook them in their cups. Then they slammed the cups, top-down, on the deck. "I wager ten years." Hammer Head said.

"I'll match ten years." Puffer countered.

"Agreed." Barnacle put in. They each slightly lifted their cups to see their dice. They began saying numbers like "four fours" and "three twos". I had no idea what was going on.

Bootstrap came up behind Will and me. "Wondering how it's played?" he asked.

"Yes." I said.

"It's a game of deception." Will explained. "Your bet includes all the dice, not just your own."

"Please continue your explanation because I still have no idea how it's played."

"That's for the best, lad. If you don't know how to play then they won't force you." Bootstrap said. I stared at him then crossed my arms and continued watching the game.

"What are they waging?" Will asked.

"The only thing we have, years of service."

"That's a bit depressing." I commented.

Bootstrap looked at me. "You just say everything on your mind, don't you?"

"Pretty much. It's the thing that makes everyone hate and love me at the same time." I said with a smirk.

"So any crewmember can be challenged?" Will asked, refocusing the conversation.

"Aye, anyone."

Hammer Head had just called "liar" at Barnacle Brains. Will spoke up, interrupting the game. "I challenge Davy Jones." everyone turned to him and all was silent. Even the eerie music of the pipe organ stopped. A thunking noise, echoing from the top deck, interrupted the silence. The barnacles that covered the wood retreated with every step. The fish people started laughing as Davy Jones walked down the stairs.

"I accept." he said. His Scottish accent made it so he enunciated the t sound.

Boxes and crates were brought out for sitting and one acted as a table. _Apparently the captain gets special treatment._ Jones even had his own playing board and a set of black dice. Will was given a set of white dice and the cup.

"The stakes?" Jones asked.

"My soul and an eternity of servitude." Will answered. Bootstrap protested but everyone ignored him.

Jones looked amused. "Against?"

"I want this." Will pulled out a cloth and set it on the table. Jones glanced at him and snatched up the cloth. When he unfolded he winced and slammed it down on the table.

"How do you know of the key?" he growled.

"Now that's not part of the game, is it?" Will said smugly and sat down. "You can still walk away."

Jones stiffened but he slowly sat down. With one tentacle he brought out a black key that was kept in his beard. The key matched the drawing on the cloth perfectly. Jones put the key back and picked up his dice and cup. Will did the same. They rolled the dice around then slammed the cups upside-down on the table. I didn't even notice that Bootstrap moved before he slammed his own cup on the table.

"What's this?" Jones spat.

"I'm in, matching his wager."

"No!" Will protested. "Don't do this."

"Dice cast. I bid three twos." Bootstrap turned to Jones. "It's your bid, Captain." _Damn, Bootstrap. _I leaned against a pillar and watched the game. I would've joined but I had no idea how to play.

Jones chuckled and slightly lifted his cup to glance at his dice. "Four fours."

Will looked at his dice. "Four fives."

"Six threes." Bootstrap put in.

Jones glanced at his dice again. "Seven fives." the fish people started laughing. I still had no idea what was going on.

Will looked panicked. "Eight fives."

Jones laughed darkly. "Welcome to the crew, laddie." his Scottish accent made it sound creepier than it should have.

"Twelve fives." Bootstrap said quickly.

"What?" Jones questioned, turning to Bootstrap.

"Twelve fives. Call me a liar? Take up the bet."

"I'd be called a liar myself for my trouble." Jones snatched up Bootstrap's cup, showing the dice underneath. "Bootstrap Bill, you're a liar and you will spend an eternity on this ship!" he stood up and turned to Will. "Master Turner, feel free to go ashore…the very next time we make port!" he laughed and walked away. The rest of the crew laughed and followed him.

"You fool." Will accused to his father. "Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't let you lose." Bootstrap said quietly.

"That was pretty daft. Now I know where Will gets it from." I said. Will glared at me. I held up my hands. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

He turned back to Bootstrap. "It was never about winning or losing."

Realization came over Bootstrap. "The key! You just wanted to know where it was." Will nodded.

I walked over to them and sat in Jones' seat. "That was pretty clever but it would've worked better if we actually got the key."

"And you said you were trying to lighten the mood." Will accused.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, smart-mouth, what's the plan now? You know, assuming you have one." Will smiled slyly. I shook my head. "You always have a plan, don't you, Turner?"

"When the crew goes to sleep…" Will started and explained.

* * *

Night fell so I got to work. It was my job to search the ship for any weapons. My personal goal was to find my swords. I missed the comforting feeling of the extra weight on my back. I searched the entire ship, dodging fish people along the way, before I found them in a room near the forecastle.

My swords were on top of the pile along with Will's sword. Grinning at my success, I walked up to the pile and grabbed my swords. After strapping them across my back and grabbing Will's sword I headed back to the deck. Bootstrap was supposed to be getting a long boat ready. That was, if he went according to plan.

Thankfully, Bootstrap was waiting patiently near the railing. "Ahoy." I greeted quietly. He turned quickly. I stopped and held up my hands. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine. You got yours and Will's weapon?"

I turned around to show him my swords and held up Will's. "Yup. You got the longboat ready?"

He nodded. Now it was up to Will. If he failed than all three of us would be dead. It was silent while Bootstrap and I waited. The night was cloudy and cold. Barnacle Brains was snoring nearby.

"Thank you." Bootstrap said, interrupting the silence.

I stared at him with a confused look. "What?"

"Thank you for helping Will yesterday. I can tell you're a good friend to him if you're willing to risk your health for him."

I smiled. "One of my few flaws. I'm incredibly loyal. Even if it means risking my life I would help a friend or crewmate."

Bootstrap slightly. "You're nothing like your father. That's why I like you."

I grinned. "Thanks, I think."

"By the way, what happened to Barbossa? I doubt he would let his only son on the _Flying Dutchman_."

"Barbossa's dead along with the rest of the crew, save Pintel, Ragetti and the monkey."

It was silent for a few moments. "Sorry for your loss." Bootstrap finally said.

I let out a small laugh. "Ha! Liar. You hated Barbossa and I don't blame you. He was a jerk. I just can't say I'm glad he's dead." I shrugged. "But, unlike Will, I'm destined to live through life without a father. Fate is fate."

Bootstrap gave me a weird look. "There are times you seem immature but then you say something like that and I change my mind."

I smiled. "I'm a strange child."

"Finally, you admit it." Will came up behind us.

"You got the key?" Will held up the key hanging around his neck.

Bootstrap walked up to Will and handed him a small knife. "Here, take this. Now get yourselves to land and stay there." Will took the knife and examined it. "It was always in my blood to die at sea, but it was never a fate I wanted for you." Bootstrap finished.

"It wasn't a fate you had to choose for yourself either." Will countered.

"Well, I can say I did what I did when I left you to go pirating. But it would take a lie to say it wasn't what I wanted."

"They'll know you helped us." Will warned.

Bootstrap laughed. "What more can they do to me?"

Will held up the blade his father had given him. "I take this with a promise. I will find a way to severe Jones' hold on you and not rest until this blade pierces his heart. I will not abandon you."

I t was silent for a few minutes. I cleared my throat. "I really hate to interrupt this touching moment but, Will, we have to go before the fish people wake up."

"Right." Will gave one last look at his father before descending down the ladder to the longboat. I was about to follow but Bootstrap grabbed my arm.

"Please look after him, Jason." he had a pleading look in his eyes.

"It's what I do best." I said with a grin and followed Will down the ladder. He took the oars and rowed off, away from the _Flying Dutchman._ The ocean was fairly calm despite the foul weather. I was happy to be away from that ship but Will looked heartbroken.

"You'll see him again." I said, interrupting the silence.

Will looked up at me. "Do you really believe that?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like he's dead or anything." Will looked back at the _Dutchman_. "Trust me, you'll see him again. If I know you, you won't stop fighting until he's as free as a bird." Will gave me a sad smile and kept rowing. Taking one last look, I turned towards the _Flying Dutchman_. The farther away we got, the creepier the ship became.

* * *

**I'm just not keeping up with my writing. Sorry for the wait. The kraken is next! Please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Release of the Kraken

Will and I took turns rowing all night. It was hard work despite the peaceful waves and fairly good weather. During one of my breaks I fell asleep. I slept for maybe an hour or two before Will woke me up. "Oi! I was having a good dream." I complained and sleepily rubbed my eyes.

"Look!" he urged and pointed. A ship was heading our way. It was one of those fancy trade ships, large and powerful looking but probably still pretty fast. The crew was waving at us. I grinned and tiredly waved back.

Minutes later Will and I were standing on the deck. Some of the crew were pulling up the longboat while others treated to us and fetched the captain. "Welcome, gentlemen, aboard the _Queen's Retreat_." a man wearing a brown coat and a tri-corn hat walked up to us. "I'm Captain Bellamy. It's a good thing my crew was able to spot you or you would've been drifting for weeks." Bellamy smiled. "If I may ask, who might you be?"

I opened my mouth to answer but Will cut me off. "My name is William Turner and this is my little brother Jason." he nodded in my direction. I gave him a confused look. _That lie won't last long. We look nothing alike._ Captain Bellamy starred at us skeptically then shrugged and asked us to join him in his cabin.

"What was that about?" I whispered to Will as we followed the captain.

"If they don't know you're a pirate they'll be more willing to help us. Playing as my little brother will help the act."

I smiled. "Cool, I've always wanted a brother." Will rolled his eyes.

The captain's cabin was nice. Well furnished with a desk strewn with papers and a couple of chairs placed near a small bookshelf. It wasn't too fancy and, thankfully, warm. I didn't realize how cold I was until I stepped into the cabin. I shivered and sank into one of the chairs.

Two of the crew came up with blankets and handed them to Will and me. I wrapped it around my shoulders and huddled under it. It felt like I was a little kid again, coming inside after playing in the rain. Will also sat down and shivered under his blanket.

The captain got out two cups and filled them with water. I respectfully took mine and gulped it down. Now that I was warm and my thirst was somewhat quenched I realized just how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten in about a day or more. My stomach grumbled quietly. "You alright, lad?" one of the crew asked. He was fairly large and bald. The man standing next to him was skinny and had long hair under his tri-corn hat. _They're like the none-pirate version of Pintel and Ragetti._

"I'm just a little cold." I said with a shaky breath.

"A bit strange to find two people out on a longboat so far out at sea." Captain Bellamy commented.

"Just get us as far away from here as you can. As fast as you can." Will said, mimicking the same shaky breath as mine.

"And what are we running from?"

Will looked like he was going to answer but he got distracted. I followed his gaze to a yellow dress hanging on a chair. He got up, walked over to it and picked it up. "Where did you get this?"

"The crew found it on board. They saw it as a bad omen." Bellamy answered.

"That's foolish." I commented.

"Ah, yes. Completely foolish." the tall skinny crewman agreed. "It brought us good fortune. The spirit told us to put in at Tortuga and we made a nice bit of profit there."

"I imagined that one of your crew might have jumped ship there." Will said with a smile.

"Why do you ask?" Bellamy questioned.

"Captain, we've spotted a ship, sir." A crewman, coming through the door, informed us.

Bellamy turned to him. "Colors?"

"She isn't flying any."

"Pirates." the captain cursed. My eyes widened.

"Or worse." Will added, dropping the dress, and ran through the door to the deck. I got up and followed him. He had started climbing the main mast to get a better view. I preferred to stay where my feet felt the solid deck. Captain Bellamy walked up to the helm and took out his spyglass.

"It's the _Flying Dutchman_!" Will called down. I groaned and walked up to the railing to get a better look. Just on the horizon I could faintly see the seaweed covered sails. _Damn you, Jones._ _Why can't you just let us go?_

The ship rocked suddenly. I stumbled before I found my balance again. Looking up, I saw Will hanging from the rope that prevented him from falling to the deck. One crewman looked over the starboard railing. "We've must've hit a reef!"

Captain Bellamy joined him and leaned over the railing. "Hard to port than hard to starboard." he ordered. The skinny man repeated his orders. I watched, horrified, as a giant tentacle rose out the water. It was slimy and green with water cascading off of it. One side was covered with suction cups. "Impossible." I gasped.

It grabbed Captain Bellamy around the waist and snatched him off the deck. A crewman next to me pointed with wide eyes and an open mouth. The skinny man turned back around as Bellamy showed up again. The old captain screamed as the tentacle pulled him underwater. The skinny man turned back to the ship and shouted the one word that was on my mind. "Kraken!"

I drew my swords and took a fighting stance. The men ran to grab spears and shotguns as more large leathery tentacles came out of the water. I counted about six or four but they moved too fast for my brain to fully process. They grabbed the men and threw them like rag dolls. One of them was slithering on the deck towards me.

I brought down one of my swords. The tip of the tentacle came off. The rest withered and retreated back into the water. As I turned around a crewman ran into me, knocking me to the ground. He would've landed on top of me but he was snatched up by a tentacle mid-fall. He screamed before he plunged into the water.

I paused for a second, stunned, then shook it off, got up and ran. A tentacle slammed onto the deck in front of me, blocking my way. I slashed it about a thousands times with my swords. When I finished the once green tentacle was now a bloody mess. It drew back for a second before slamming into me.

The force made me fall back on the deck. My shirt and vest were now slimy and red with blood. I gagged and slowly got up. As I stood, I saw a large tentacle wrapping around the main mast. It splintered the wood like I would a toothpick. Faintly, I saw Will jumping from the falling sail to another one. Unfortunately, watching this prevented me from seeing the tentacle that was heading towards me.

It rammed into my back, causing me to fall on my face. The wind was knocked out of me. My swords clattered on the deck just within reach. I quickly got up, grabbed one sword, turned around and stabbed the tip of a tentacle as it was coming towards me. When I withdrew it withered for a moment. I took that opportunity to grab my other sword and, making an X with my swords, sliced off a good portion. It retreated back into the water.

I grinned, happy with my accomplishment. My face fell as a shadow appeared on the deck. I turned around and gaped. Two massive tentacles rose out of the water side by side. Each was as thick as the _Black Pearl_'s main mast, probably even thicker. They stayed upright for a moment then started to fall. Before I knew what I doing I was in the air, jumping off the side of the ship. My swords tucked tightly into their sheaths across my back.

I straightened my legs as I hit the water. There was nothing but silence as my head went under. When I opened my eyes I saw a monstrous sight. The kraken. It was massive with a squid shaped body and tentacles streaming off its body. The mouth was facing upwards to wards the ship. I screamed and swam like crazy away from it and towards the surface.

I gasped for air as I broke the surface. Turning back towards the ship I saw it was now in two halves like the ship the night I first met Davy Jones. _Those two tentacles must've done it._ Even though I was scarred almost stiff I was in slight awe of the monster. It broke the ship in half so that the remaining crew would slide into its mouth. That was a pretty good tactic. Plus, it was a creature of legend. Not many people had seen it and survived. The curious part of my mind wanted me to stay and study the creature. Thankfully, the more logical part of my mind metaphorically slapped the curiosity out of me.

A barrel was slowly drifting towards me. I swam and grabbed hold of it, thankful for the floatation. As I caught my breath I looked around. There was a body laid out on a piece of driftwood. I jumped as it moved and I recognized the waterlogged man. It was Will. "Will!" I shouted.

He looked up. His eyes filled with relief as he saw me. "Jason." He gasped and smiled. I smiled back briefly before my face fell. Will turned to see what I was looking at. The _Flying Dutchman_ was coming up behind him. Will slammed his fist down on the board. He looked at me and let go of the wood.

I watched as he swam towards the _Dutchman_ and climbed up the side. "That idiot." I cursed and followed him. The climb was the hardest part due to the fact that the hull had almost no handholds. I kept slipping and falling. Will had to help me up most of the way. I collapsed when we reached the mouth-like bowsprit. It provided us nice hiding spot and a place to lie down.

"Now what?" I asked, still gasping. My arms felt like jelly from all the rowing and my chest stung as the salt water got into the cut.

"Wait here." Will ordered. I made no argument as he climbed up towards the deck. The only thing I heard was Jones saying "There are no survivors." and the sound of a blade hitting flesh. I cringed. Will joined me minutes later.

"What do we do?" I asked again.

"Jones is setting a course for Isla Cruces. I'm guessing that's where he buried his heart."

"We'll probably find Sparrow there."

"That's the plan."

"Not a very good plan." I said glumly. "The moment I see him I swear I'll kill him."

"Get in line." Will mumbled. I almost laughed. "Now we just have to hope that Jones doesn't find us here."

"Well with our luck he'll probably emerge from the wood." Will cringed and shook his head. "Still got the key?" I asked.

Will held up the black key. "Strange that there's so much fuss over such a small thing."

"It's literally the key to Jones' heart. Whoever has that can stab the heart and kill the bloody git. Just do me a favor and make sure Jack doesn't get it."

Will smiled. "Deal."

* * *

**Please review. I love hearing from you guys!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning: This chapter might not be as good because I'm really bad at writing battle scenes. I apologize in advance. Please carry on.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Battle of Four

I was keeping watch while Will slept. My back leaned against the ship while my arms hugged my knees. My eyes were starting to droop but I couldn't fall asleep even if I wanted to. The mere thought of Jones catching us kept me awake. Even if I didn't show it I was slightly scared of Jones, especially now that I had seen the kraken. Anyone with that kind of power had the right to be feared.

To keep myself awake I started humming a song. It didn't really help but it did ease my nerves a bit. "Yo ho yo ho a pirates' life for me/We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot/Drink up me hearties yo ho/We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot/Drink up me hearties yo yo/Yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me." I sung softly so as not to wake Will.

Jack had taught me the song while we were in Tortuga. The man was completely drunk and was stumbling around with a bottle of rum in his hand. Every time he got to the chorus he would take a big swig and then keep singing. I was laughing the whole time. He taught the song to anyone who would listen and made them sing along. Now it was engraved into my brain and every time it was quiet I would hum or sing quietly. That was one of my finer memories of Jack. The next morning was especially fun because he had a raging headache. Lil'Jack and I tormented him all day.

As I thought of Jack I also remembered why I hated him. My smile turned to a scowl. _I swear the next time I see him…_

"How long was I sleeping?" Will mumbled as he slowly sat up.

I turned around to look at him. "Not very long. Mayve an hour or two. How much longer until Isla Cruces?"

"How should I know? I don't know the Caribbean by heart." Will stretched and crouched near the edge. I sighed and closed my eyes. "Tired?"

"A bit." I mumbled. My stomach chose that to be the perfect moment to growl loudly.

"Hungry?"

"No, my stomach just makes those noises for fun." Will smiled. "And thirsty, now that you mention it." I continued. "The last thing I had to drink was a mouthful of water. That was a few hours ago."

"Well it seems we're both deprived of something at the moment. But not for much longer." he looked at me and jerked his head. I sighed and crept forward. My bones were stiff from being in one position for so long. "Look." Will pointed out at the horizon. It took awhile but I did manage to spot a black dot on the horizon.

"Great. How do we know it's Isla Cruces?"

"The _Dutchman_ is heading in that direction. Give it one hour, maybe two, and we'll be able to swim to shore."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Swim?"

"Yes, swim. Do you have a problem with swimming?"

"Yes I do, actually. Now that I know a gigantic squid lives below the waves I'm a little cautious about going in the water. How do we know Jones hasn't made that thing hunt us?"

"Because Jones thinks we're dead."

"Yeah but if the beast sees us it might recognize us and eat us!" my voice was progressively getting louder. At that last sentence Will clapped a hand over my mouth.

"Shhhh. Do you want them to hear us? Do you want them to know we're alive?" slowly, Will lifted his hand from my mouth.

"Sorry." I whispered.

"Maybe we should stop talking until we're off this ship. Okay?" the look on Will's face warned me not to protest. I was never very good at keeping quiet, even if there was no one to talk to. But I decided that then was a good time to shut up.

I nodded. Will nodded his thanks and looked back at the ocean. I stayed where I was for a few minutes then started fidgeting around. My legs were sore from crouching so I crept back over to my original position and stretched out. Soon my eyes were drooping again. Very slowly, I began falling asleep.

* * *

It seemed like only minutes had past before Will was shaking me awake. I recovered no energy from the little nap and yet I was wide awake at Will's side looking out at the island. "Isla Cruces?"

"Yes." Will had a determined look on his face. _Who knows what he's thinking about._

The part of the island we were looking at was the beach. Past the sand I could see a jungle of trees and other foliage. "Great. Now remind me how we get there."

Will turned to me. "We swim." with a smile he began climbing down the ship.

I leaned over. "Why don't we just jump?"

"It makes too much noise. Hurry up!" I sighed and climbed down after Will. The water was fairly warm but also cold and refreshing. I tried not to imagine a slimy tentacle wrapping around my ankle.

"Come on!" Will encouraged and began swimming towards the island. I shook the image out of my head and followed him. Feeling unsafe, I turned around to look at the _Dutchman_ and found it moving forwards. Forewords and down. The bow tipped towards the water and soon the entire ship was under and out of sight. I turned back to Will, who apparently had not seen the phenomenon. I gapped at the spot where the _Dutchman _used to be. "I may hate that bloody ship, but that was awesome." Grinning like a madman I began swimming after Will towards the island.

Minutes later I got to a point where I could stand. I waded after Will who was already standing on the beach. Three figures were crouched over something a bit farther inland. They were close enough that I could see they're features. One had on a tri-corn hat over long blond hair. The other had dark brown dreadlocks with a red bandana strapped around his head and finally one was wearing a dirty blue coat and had brown hair tied up behind him.

"You actually were telling the truth." the man with the dirty coat said in disbelief. His voice sounded familiar.

"I do that quite a lot, actually, and yet people are always surprised." the man with the dreadlocks retorted. I definitely recognized his voice.

"With good reason!" Will called. The trio quickly stood up and turned around. Jack Sparrow looked at us with wide eyes and a panicked look. The blond was Elizabeth Swann whose eyes lit up when she saw Will.

"Will." she ran up to him. The lovers embraced and kissed passionately. I stood quietly and awkwardly to the side.

"Nice to see you too, Elizabeth." I commented. Will turned slightly to glare at me.

"How did you get here?" Jack asked. I gave the man a cold look. He caught my eye then quickly looked away.

"Sea turtles, mate. A pair of them strapped to our feet." Will answered.

"It's a lot harder than it sounds. Very difficult." I added.

"Although I do owe you thanks, Jack." Will continued. "After you tricked us onto the _Flying Dutchman_ to settle your debt with Jones-"

"What?" Elizabeth asked, turning to Jack.

"What?" Jack mimicked in a high pitched voice. I almost laughed.

"I was reunited with my father." Will finished.

"Oh. Well, you're welcome, then." Jack said, uncertainly.

Elizabeth walked away from Will and stalked up to Jack. "Every thing you told me, every word, was a lie?"

"Pretty much. Time and tide, luv." Jack admitted with a smile. Elizabeth looked furious.

Now, wait a moment, Elizabeth." I said, beginning to walk up to Jack. "He did have his reasons."

Jack looked surprised yet pleased. "I did have my reasons. Thank you for recognizing them, Jason."

I held up a hand. "I'm not finished. You had to offer Jones something or else you would've forfeited your own life. We couldn't have that now, could we? It only makes sense that you would send the man that saved your life and the boy whose father you had killed to settle the debt for you. Oh, and not explaining anything. Especially the fact that Jones is a mutant crab-octopus…with anger issues…and the power to command a giant squid!"

Jack frowned. "Right. About that-" I didn't let him finish the thought. I clenched my fist and punched him in the jaw. His head flew to the side and he stumbled back. His hand was covering his jaw. I had hoped the blow would at least leave a bruise.

"Just as feisty as ever, aren't you, thief?" the man in the dirty blue coat asked. I turned to him, ready with a smart remark, and paused. I recognized him.

"Norrington?" he didn't move. "What have you been doing to yourself? All that dirt and untidiness. You look better than ever." Norrington glared at me. "What are you doing here, anyway? I assumed your ship went down in the hurricane."

"It did. I wound up in a bar on Tortuga. Sparrow hired me."

I turned to Jack. "Why would you hire a former Naval officer?"

Jack still clutched his jaw and pointed an accusing finger at me. "You punched me. Why did you punch me?"

"Well I wasn't going to hug you!"

Jack looked past me. "Hey, boy. What are you doing?" I turned around and saw Will crouched over a small black chest. Jones' key was in one hand while his father's knife was in the other.

"I'm going to kill Jones." Will replied.

Jack drew his sword and pointed it at Will. "I can't let you do that, William. You see if Jones is dead who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?" Will stared at the chest then slowly got up. Jack held out his hand. "Now the key, if you will."

Will turned and grabbed Elizabeth's sword. He pointed it at Jack. I got out of the way and stood in between Jack and Norrington. My right sword was clasped in my hand, pointing at Jack. "I keep the promises I make, Jack. I intend to free my father." Will said.

"I can't let you do that either. So sorry." Norrington had drawn his own sword and held it up to Will. I drew my other sword and pointed it at Norrington.

"I knew you'd warm up to me." Jack said with a cocky smile.

"It's impossible to warm up to you, Sparrow. Everyone hates you." I said with a smirk.

"Gee, thanks, Jason."

"Cutler Becket requires the contents of that chest. If I get it to him I get my life back." Norrington continued.

"Ah, the dark side of ambition." Jack commented. For once, I agreed with him.

"Oh, I see it as the promise of redemption." Norrington swung his sword at me. I blocked and tried pushing him back. Will and Jack were fighting farther up the beach. Ducking a blow from Norrington, I ran to catch up. Jack had knocked Will to the ground and know had the key. I charged past Will with Norrington at my heels.

Jack looked back just as I caught up and turned around to block my attack. We fought for several seconds before he managed to kick the back of my knee. I crumpled to the ground and he ran off. Again, I sprinted after him. This time, instead of attacking with my sword, I dove to grab his legs. Jack fell like a tree. Will had managed to catch up by then and grabbed the key from Sparrow's hand.

"Bugger!" Jack cursed. He kicked his legs until I let go. I got up and ran. When Jack caught up to me I shoved him causing him to go off balance and fall to the ground, again. When I looked up, Norrington was catching up to Will.

Will was still holding the key. He slashed at Norrington. When Norrington blocked I sheathed one of my swords, ran under the Will's sword and grabbed the key from him. I gave him a quick nod then continued running. _This would be awesome with some epic background music._

Somehow, Jack caught up to me first. I turned around in time to block. Sparrow kept attacking, making me block and parry like a maniac. At one point, Jack left a small opening in his attack. I raised my foot and kicked his gut. Jack stumbled back and I kept running. The end of the beach was coming up and I sprinted off into the jungle.

* * *

**Well, that's that. Hope it wasn't too bad. Please leave a review and I'll probably have another chapter up by next week. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Fight for the Key

The key was wrapped tightly around my wrist. I heard my breath coming in gasps, my feet rustling the leaves and the angry shouts of Jack, Will, and Norrington. So far I had been running about five minutes. My legs were starting to ache and my lungs barely got enough air. I tried to ignore the pain and tiredness and kept sprinting through the jungle.

"Jason! Get back here, Barbossa!" Jack screamed. When I looked back for a second I tripped over a log. As I landed pain shot up my chest. "Jason!" Jack yelled again. I quickly stood up and kept running.

Before long the trees ended. I paused for half a second to look around. The remains of a church stood in front of me. The cobblestone was crumbling, the wood was rotting and the gravestones were weathered from rain and wind.

I looked behind me and saw Sparrow charging at me, a hell-bent fury in his eyes. I gave a startled yell and ran into the crumbling bell tower. Stairs spiraled around the rope used to ring the bell. I charged up the stairs. A few bits broke off and fell to the floor. When I looked down I saw Jack racing up the stairs. I increased my speed, taking the steps two or three at a time.

I had almost reached the top when I came to a sudden stop. A man was hanging from the ropes by the neck. The skin was rotting and the cloths were tattered into rags, but I could tell they were some sort of robes. _Why would-_

Jack interrupted my thought. He came up behind me and grabbed the key from my hand. "Oi!" I shouted and tried to grab it back. Sparrow grabbed my arm and the back of my neck and shoved me into the wall. He ran up the stairs. Norrington charged past me. Soon the two enemies were clashing swords. I ran to catch up.

Before I caught up Norrington grabbed the key and pushed Jack off the stairwell. Jack grabbed the rope and descended. The bell began ringing. It gave off a haunting tune that fit its surroundings.

Will must've been holding onto the rope when Jack fell. He shot up past me and snatched the key from Norrington's hand. "By your leave, Mr. Norrington!" he shouted smugly. Norrington sneered and charged up after him. I quickly followed.

Catching up, I slashed at Norrington's legs. He gave a quick grunt of pain and turned to me. "You are going to die by my hand, thief!" he spat the last word and lunged.

"My name is Jason!" I informed him and blocked. We fought on the stairwell. He was steadily pushing me back. Jack suddenly came up behind me and attacked me as well. "This isn't fair!" I shouted and drew my other sword to hold off the two men. It was bloody hard. I was doing different things with each sword. When I messed up I paid the price.

For a second I let my guard down. Norrington took advantage of that and kicked my stomach. I stumbled into Jack who pushed me off the stairwell. I fell and outstretched my hands, my swords falling as well. My hands grabbed hold of the closest thing, the hanging corpse. I almost let go from the shock.

I hung on as I fell to the ground. I jumped off just before hitting the ground and wiped my hands on my pants. "I could've gone my whole life without doing that." I looked at the corpse again. The mouth was hanging open. It almost looked as horrified as I felt. "Thanks for the lift, mate." I nodded at it then bent down to pick up my swords. "I just thanked a corpse. Not exactly the first time that's happened, but that corpse was technically living. Living dead, in fact." I looked at the rotting body again. "I should stop talking, shouldn't I?" it said nothing. "Yeah." I said with a nod "I really need some sleep." I shook my head and started up the stairs again.

I soon got to the top of the tower. Will, Norrington and Jack were fighting on the roof of the church. Actually Will and Norrington were fighting while Jack hung back and watched. He seemed to be trying to get the key out of Norrington's hand. I climbed down from the window and headed after them.

When I caught up Jack had managed to grab the key. Norrington turned around to attack him. He knocked Sparrow's sword away and pointed his sword at Jack's neck. "Do excuse me while I kill the man who ruined my life." Norrington told Will.

"Be my guest." Will encouraged.

Norrington started forward. "Let us examine that claim, shall we?" Jack said quickly. "Who was it, that when you had a notorious pirate safely locked behind bars, decided to free said pirate and take your dearly beloved all to hisself, eh? So whose fault is it really that you ended up a rum-soaked deck hand what takes orders from pirates?" I had to admit, Sparrow was a clever bird.

"Enough!" Norrington shouted and swung at Jack. He ducked, rolled off the roof, did a flip and landed with his butt on the ground. I almost laughed. "Unfortunately, Mr. Turner, he's right!" Norrington turned and attacked Will. I looked at Jack and saw him calmly strolling away. _Will can look after himself_. I ran down the roof, jumped, landed, rolled and kept running. Jack was out of sight. _Where are you-_the thought was interrupted when I fell into a hole.

Luckily I landed on something soft. "Get off me." my cushion mumbled. I immediately stood up. Jack stood up as well. His face was covered in dirt.

"You got a little something on your face." I informed him.

"What?" he asked.

I punched him in the jaw. "My fist!" Jack stumbled back into the wall of the hole, or grave is what I should really call it. "That sounded a lot cooler in my head."

"You have to stop punching me, Jason."

"You have to stop pissing me off." I punched him again. "Give me the key!"

"No!" I tackled him. We both fell over.

"Give me the key!"

"No!"

"Give me the damn key!"

"Get the hell off of me!" Jack kneed my crotch. I gasped and fell sideways off of him. Jack stood up. "I can't believe that worked."

"That really hurt." I whimpered, still lying on the ground. "Wait, why did you think that wouldn't work?"

"I thought you were a eunuch like Will." he gave me a mocking smile and started climbing out of the grave. I was still in too much pain to follow after him. All I could do was shout "Jack-ass!"

There was a weird creaking and rumbling noise. Jack had his head and shoulder out of the grave when suddenly he was pulled up. Some wooden object broke over his head and lifted him out of the grave.

I stared with my mouth open in awe. Slowly I stood up and started climbing out of the hole. I was still in pain but it was easing off gradually. When I finally managed to climb out of the grave I saw a giant water wheel rolling into the jungle. There were two figures sword fighting on the top. After pausing in confusion, I bolted after it, ignoring the pain in my groin.

Because it was, in fact, a wheel, it was hard to catch up. Luckily the terrain was flat so I was able to run faster than the wheel. I still had it in sight. Will and Norrington were fighting on top. Jack was nowhere in sight. Then a figure fell out of the wheel and onto the ground. It was Jack. _Spoke to soon_.

I ran up to the pirate and towered over him. "Give me the key."

"I don't have the key." he groaned. His hand was on his forehead like he had a headache.

I balled up the neck of his shirt in my fist and pulled him up. Our faces were inches apart. "Where is the key?"

"I don't have it! It's on the wheel." he said again. We both looked where the wheel was heading towards. I looked back at Jack as he looked back at me. I could tell we were thinking the same thing. I dropped Jack and ran after the wheel. Jack's footsteps pounded the ground behind me.

I caught up to the wheel and jumped in, careful to dodge the metal bar as it came past. I assumed that was why Jack had a headache. Jack stepped in behind me. We were both running to stay on the wheel but I felt ridiculous. I was staying in the same spot as I run and so did Jack so it looked like I was trying to run away from him and he was chasing me. It probably looked hilarious.

I spotted the key hanging from a rusty nail. It was coming my way so I got ready to grab it. Will appeared suddenly. His eyes widened and he grabbed the key. Jack cursed behind me. A thought popped into my mind. I turned round, grabbed a bar and held out my feet. I kicked Jack in the stomach.

He made an 'oof' sound, but didn't fall off. He grabbed a spoke and hung on. I was now upside down. My feet were on the underside of the wheel and my head and hands were on the metal bar. My feet swung and I kicked someone in the face. It was Norrington. "That worked out better than expected." I said cheerfully.

Norrington grabbed my foot and pulled me down. He drew his sword and swung to attack me. I drew my sword and blocked the attack. We fought as the wheel turned. I had to constantly change my position to stay on. There some sort of a pattern to it. First you attack, change your position, attack, change your position and so on.

As we fought the wheel was speeding up. I didn't care about fighting anymore; I clung tight to a spoke and prayed. Will and Norrington did the same. Jack, I noticed, was not on the wheel. I didn't have time to even think about it. The wheel kept getting faster and faster. I started screaming and so did Will and Norrington.

Finally, the wheel started slowing down. It came to a stop and fell over. I landed back-first in shallow water. _How did we get on the beach?_ I felt completely sick and the ground wouldn't stop spinning. When I tried to crawl out of the wheel I fell into the water again. Will did the same thing next to me. Norrington seemed to have recovered the fastest. He was running towards the longboat.

Will tried standing up again but fell back down. I slowly stood up, using the wheel as support. "Can someone please stop the spinning ground?" I asked dizzily. My stomach felt queasy and my legs were wobbly. When I had finally regained some of my balance I helped Will onto his feet.

We both stumbled over to the fighting fish people and regular people. I drew my swords and walked up to a random fish person. "Long time no see." I said with a smirk. He turned around, huffed and attacked me. I blocked and ran my other sword through his gut.

"Jason!" I turned around and saw everyone gathered by the longboat. Jack was there with a oar in his hand. Elizabeth had one sword, Pintel had another and Ragetti was weaponless. Norrington was also weaponless. Will was unconscious over the side of the boat.

I ran over and turned to face Jones' crew. "How many minions does Jones have?" I asked.

"I thought you were the expert." Pintel remarked.

"Spending two days on the _Flying Dutchman_ doesn't exactly make me an expert."

"We're not getting out of this." Elizabeth commented. She was right. We were surrounded the mutant creatures. They were sneering at us and laughing. I spat in one of their faces.

"Not with the chest." Norrington put in. He grabbed the chest from the longboat.

"You're mad." Elizabeth said.

"You just noticed that?" I asked with a smirk.

Norrington gave me one last glare. "Don't wait for me." he dashed off past the fish people with the chest under his arm. The fish people charged after him.

"I say we respect his final wishes." Jack said.

"Aye!" we all agreed and hopped into the boat. I pulled Will in with Elizabeth's help. Pintel and Ragetti got the oars ready. Jack was clinging to his jar of dirt.

I, for one, was confused as to why Jack would let Norrington have the heart. We had just spent an entire sword fight over who gets the heart. _What's your plan, Sparrow?_

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Kraken scene #2 is next! Please review!**

**BTW I kind of added a deleted scene. It was about the history of Isla Cruces. That's where I got the hanging corpse from. If you can find it I suggest you watch it because I found it quite interesting.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: An Unwelcome Guest and Unexpected Goodbye

We made it to the _Pearl _safe and sound. I dragged Will up the ladder with Elizabeth's help. We laid him on the deck. Elizabeth sat next to him.

"You're pullin' too hard!" I heard Pintel yell at his nephew.

"You ain't pullin' hard enough!" Ragetti shouted back.

I turned around. "Will you two stop bickering?"

"Where's the commodore?" Gibbs asked Jack.

"He fell behind." the captain replied. I rolled my eyes. Gibbs mumbled something under his breath then followed Jack up to the helm.

"Best not wallow in our grief. The bright side is that you made it off clear and free." Gibbs said. Unfortunately he spoke too soon. The _Flying Dutchman_ rose up out of the water next to the _Pearl_.

"Gibbs, you never, never, say something like that! The gods are always listening!" I shouted at the first mate.

Jack said something to Gibbs then raised his jar of dirt above his head. "Oi! Fish-face! Lose something? Eh? Scungilli!" apparently Jack wasn't watching where he was stepping because he fell head over heels down the stairs. Everyone "oohed" but I burst out laughing.

"Still got it!" Jack cried, triumphantly holding up his jar of dirt. He stood up and kept walking. "Come to negotiate, eh, you slimy git? Guess what I got? I got a jar of dirt, I got a jar of dirt and guess what's inside it!" the captain sang happily. I was laughing so hard I almost couldn't make a smart remark, almost.

"Ooh, let me guess. A fish?" I retorted. Jack glared at me. "What? You were the one singing about dirt."

The _Dutchman_'s cannons were pointed at us, ready to fire. I pointed and Jack turned around. "Hard to starboard." he said.

"Hard to starboard!" Elizabeth repeated. Gibbs complied and turned the wheel. The crew was running around working the sails. Cannons fired at us as we sailed away. One of them hit a lamp on the _Pearl_'s stern. Pintel was patting the railing, urging the _Pearl_ to go faster.

Some of the cannon fire shot through the captain's cabin, blasting the doors open. I looked through and saw a giant hole in the back. Looking through it I could see the _Flying Dutchman_ on our tail. "She's on us!" I yelled, running away from the cabin.

I ran up to the helm and stood on the railing to get a better look. The _Pearl_ was gaining distance from the cursed ship. Elizabeth joined me. "She's falling behind." she said.

"Aye, we've got her." Gibbs said.

"We're the faster?" Will, who had regained consciousness, asked.

"Aye, against the wind, that's how the _Dutchman _takes her prey but with the wind…"

"We rob her advantage." I finished. Gibbs nodded in confirmation.

"They're giving up!" Marty shouted. The crew started cheering. Pintel and Ragetti started dancing around. I would've laughed at the ridiculous sight if the situation had been different.

Will turned to Jack. "My father is on that ship. If we can outrun her we can take her. We must turn and fight!"

"Why fight when you can negotiate?" Jack set his jar of dirt on the railing. "All one needs is the proper amount of leverage." just then something hit the ship making it rock. I stepped to regain my balance. Jack lunged for his dirt but was too late. It fell off the railing and hit the deck, spilling dirt and glass all over the dark wood.

Jack gasped and ran down the stairs. At the bottom he got onto his knees and started digging through the dirt like a dog. I walked down the opposite stairs and stood over him. "Where is it?" I heard him mumble.

"Um, Jack? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Where is the thump-thump?"

"The what?" then it came to me. Jack had Jones' heart. That was why he was fine with letting Norrington run off with the chest. "You…" I started then Will interrupted me. He said the three words I had hoped never hear.

"It's the kraken!" My eyes widened. I turned to look at the blacksmith. He had Elizabeth in his arms. In the corner of my eye I saw Jack stop digging and sit up. We glanced at each other. The same horrified feeling I felt was expressed in his eyes.

"It'll attack the starboard side first, I've seen it before. Run out all those cannons and hold for my signal!" Will shouted then he turned to me. "Jason, go help with the cannons. Tell the crew what to expect. We're the most experienced in this subject. They're counting on us, you hear?"

"Right." I nodded and went down the stairs to the cannon deck. Marty gestured me over. I ran up to help him set up the cannon. Pintel and Ragetti were setting up next to us.

"So what does the kraken do, exactly?" Pintel asked.

"Well, first it stops its attack and gives us tea and cookies. Then it just swims away." I could practically taste the sarcasm with every word. My voice was drenched in it.

Marty laughed next to me and even Ragetti snickered a bit. Pintel glared. "I bet anyone ten shillings that Jason will be the first to go." he said.

I gave him a confused look. "What? Why?"

"It will probably get fed up with all the insults you'll shout at it." the crew heard this then started laughing. I glared at every one of them.

"I bet ten shillings that Marty will go first. No one, not even the kraken, likes a dwarf." I remarked. Marty hit my arm but otherwise ignored me. The crew however laughed even more.

Soon after that, with the cannons ready, an eerie silence took over. I could hear the kraken's tentacles start to slither up the side of the ship. Before long I could see them through the cannon window. The suction cups sometimes got stuck on the cannons.

Will came halfway down the stairs. "Easy, boys." Pintel jumped and Ragetti swiftly turned around. Everyone's anxiety was up. "Hold. Hold." Will ordered. The tentacles kept climbing. Each one seemed to go forever.

"I think we've out fired long enough." Pintel snapped.

"Will!" I heard Elizabeth scream.

"Fire!" Will ordered. I lit the cannon and shot the tentacle in front of the window. Again and again the kraken was shot with cannon fire. I heard something crash up on deck. The tentacles soon retreated back into the water.

I ran up on deck to see the damage. All of the longboats were crushed and broken. I groaned. "Great. Now what?"

Will came up behind me. "Now we fight."

I looked up at him. "You have another crazy plan, don't you?" he grinned. "Why do I even ask that? Of course you do."

He stepped away from me and faced the crew. "Pull the grates! I want all the gunpowder in the net in the cargo hold!" as the crew went to do as told Will grabbed a gun. He handed it to Elizabeth. "Whatever you do, don't miss."

"As soon as you're clear." she confirmed. I barely heard that last part because I was running to find all the gunpowder I could. I ran down the two flights of stairs and found the crew was hulling it into the cargo hold. I tried to help but I noticed we were a little short on stock.

"We are short stock on gunpowder! Six barrels!" one man shouted. I never did learn his name.

Gibbs, who was standing next to me, started going up the stairs running into Will along the way. "There's only half a dozen kegs of powder." the first mate informed him.

"Then load the rum!" Will ordered like it was obvious. The entire crew fell silent. Will walked off before he said anything else.

I spoke up. "Or, you know, we can wait for the kraken to eat us. Your choice." still no one moved. "I'm dead serious. I will chop you all up into little pieces and hand feed you to the leviathan." again, no one moved. I threw up my hands in frustration. "What is it with rum that makes you want to risk your lives? It's just a drink! We survive this you can drink to your heart's content. Now load all the rum and alcohol into the net!" everyone moved after that. They complained and groaned but they worked. "Thank you!" I shouted then walked up the stairs.

The rest of the crew was getting the wheel ready. The one that pulled up the net when you turned it. It took a lot of man power to put it to use but I think that moment was a good time to use it. I was standing next to Cotton, waiting for the order, when I saw a speck in the distance. It was a figure in a longboat. _Some idiot is abandoning ship!_ I looked around and noticed our captain was missing. _Of course._

Gibbs gave the command. "Heave! Heave like you're being paid for it!"

"I thought we were being paid for this!" I yelled with a smile. The only one that acknowledged my joke was Cotton. He smiled slightly then pushed with all his might. I joined him.

The net, now filled with gunpowder and rum, rose from the cargo hold. Will was hanging onto it. I finally realized his plan. _God, I'm slow._ He was somehow going to make the kraken grab the net then blow up the barrels. It was risky but it the was the best plan we had got.

Then something hit the ship causing everyone to stumble. "Not good." I heard Marty say. Then a loud crashing and screaming noise came from below deck. Tentacles rose out of the water and started attacking the _Pearl_. I ran from the wheel and unsheathed my swords. Will was still hanging onto the net. He was waving his sword about and taunting the kraken.

A tentacle slammed onto the wheel, nearly crushing my friends. The net jerked and Will nearly fell off. But that was the least of my problems. A tentacle had wrapped around my waist. I only had time to say "Son of a…" before the grip tightened and I was lifted into the air.

I was slammed into the deck twice. First on my stomach. I saw the black wood of the deck rushing towards me then felt a sharp, aching, crushing pain on my chest. Before I could register the pain I was picked up a second time and slammed into the deck again. This time on my back. My back didn't feel any pain, or maybe it did but it didn't compare to the pain in my head. I landed on the back of my head almost making me black out.

But the kraken wasn't done with me. Its grip tightened on my waist, so much I thought I heard my ribs crack, and flung me up into the air. I was barely conscious but somehow managed to grab a hold of the rigging. I clung to the ropes for dear life. My arms were wrapped around them tightly so I wouldn't fall off. After I caught my breath I examined my injuries.

The whiplash on my chest had reopened. Not as bad as it was before but blood still stained the front of my shirt. However, my headache was maybe ten times worse. It felt like someone was pounding on my head with a hammer every five seconds. I felt the back of my head and my fingers came back wet with blood. "Bloody fantastic." I cursed.

Slowly and cautiously I climbed down from the rigging. I barely processed what was going on around me. People were flung into the air and others crushed by the slimy green tentacles. My swords were gone. _I must've dropped them_.

Will was still hanging from the cargo net. Elizabeth was holding up a rifle, ready to fire. Suddenly she dropped the gun and fell to the ground. She was dragged back through the broken doors leading to the captain's cabin. I ran after her then stopped. With each step my headache worsened. I was about to endure it and keep going but then I saw Elizabeth emerge from the cabin. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Nearby, Marty was running away from a tentacle. He was coming towards me. I grabbed an axe that was conveniently embedded in the railing next to me and swung down as Marty ran past. The tentacle sliced in two then retreated.

Marty turned back and gave me grateful look. Then he eyed my bloodstained chest and his expression turned to horror and worry. "You look awful."

I grinned. "So do you." I looked down at my shirt. "I'm fine." I assured him and walked away. He ran off in the opposite direction. Facing the helm, I saw an all too familiar figure holding up a rifle. It was pointed at the cargo net that, when I looked, Will was still hanging from.

I fell flat on the ground as the net exploded above me. A ringing sounded in my ears for a few seconds. Pieces of burnt wood and tentacles fell onto the deck around me. I cringed in disgust and slowly got up. I turned around to find Will lying on the ground. I breathed another sigh of relief and walked up to. "Need a hand?" I asked and held out mine.

Will looked up and took it. I lifted him up and soon we were both standing. "Are you okay, Jason?" he asked, glancing at my shirt.

"A little headache and some blood loss but otherwise I'm peachy." I said with a forced smile.

Will eyed me. "Liar." he accused.

Before I could answer the figure walked up behind me. It was Jack. He handed the rifle to Gibbs. "Abandon ship."

Gibbs looked confused. "But, Jack, the _Pearl_."

Jack sighed. "She's only a ship mate." I gasped almost mockingly. _Never thought I'd hear Jack say those words all in one sentence._

"He's right." Elizabeth agreed. "We have to head for land."

"We can get away while it's taking down the _Black Pearl_." Will joined in.

It seemed like a long time before Gibbs finally sighed. "Abandon ship. Abandon ship or abandon hope." he walked away with a hung head.

Jack caught my eye. "Jason, you're kind of bleeding."

"Yeah, I know. It's a reopened cut. Everyone stop worrying about it. It's not that bad!" I raised my voice then quickly lowered it. "Sorry. Rough day."

Will patted my back. "It's fine." and left to get in the longboat. I went searching for my weapons. Digging through piles of burnt wood I found one of them. It was slimy with kraken goop. I wiped it off, sheathed it and searched for my other sword.

"Is this yours?" a voice asked from behind me. Ragetti was holding up the silver cutlass with the emerald imbedded in the hilt. I smiled at him.

"Thanks." I took the sword and sheathed it. Ragetti smiled and walked away. I followed him to the longboat. Before descending the ladder I stopped near Jack. "I'm going to miss her."

Jack turned to me. "Me too."

"What are we going to do after this?"

"I don't know. I'll make it up as I go along."

"Right, because that always works." I said sarcastically. Taking one last look at the _Pearl_, the ship that had attacked Port Royal a year ago making me start this crazy adventure, and descended to the longboat. I sat next to Cotton and waited. Pintel, Ragetti and Marty were already there. It sickened me that so few survived.

Will came down next with Gibbs right behind him. Jack and Elizabeth were still on the ship. "What the heck are those two doing?" I asked. No one answered.

Finally, Elizabeth climbed down the ladder. We waited to see if Jack was coming. "Where's Jack?" Will asked. He sounded irritated and almost dark.

"He lectured to stay behind to give us a chance." Elizabeth answered. She had a strange look on her face. A mixture between sadness and guilt.

"Go!" Elizabeth ordered sternly when Marty hesitated. He quickly let go of the rope and we set off. I was staring at Elizabeth trying to figure out what happened. _What have you done?_

From the position I was sitting I had a clear view of the _Black Pearl_. I watched as tentacles embraced it and drug it down to the depths. "So long, Captain Sparrow." I said. Everyone bowed their heads in silence.

* * *

**Wow, that's depressing chapter. Sorry about that but I had to follow the story line. My personal favorite part of the movie is coming up next so I'm excited for that.**

**And to my friend, TheGreenNGoldAvenger, I hope you had an amazing performance! I'm sure you did awesome!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: I Love Voodoo Magic

The boat ride to the island was silent and sorrowful. I guess I should be thankful that we were relatively close to land when the kraken attacked but I hated the fact that it was the island with the cannibal tribe and that voodoo lady Tia Dalma. Cotton steered the boat so we'd go upriver, straight towards the biome.

It was dark by the time we reached the mouth of the river. I was completely exhausted by the day's activities but my raging headache kept me awake. The cut on my chest stopped bleeding but my ribs hurt. It felt like they were bruised if not broken. Slime from the kraken covered my arms, shirt and hair, and dried blood stained my shirt red. I would've given anything for a hot bath right then, and I think everyone else felt the same way. They didn't look much better.

As we made our way down the river we could see people standing in the water. They were holding candles and had sad looks on their faces. I was about to ask Gibbs what was going on but then decided to keep the vigil. Some of the people followed us while others just watched.

By the time we got to Tia Dalma's hut my headache had worsened. I could barely stand up let alone walk. Ragetti and Will had to help me up the steps. Even then it was a miracle Will didn't have to carry me. With every step my head pounded and fire shot through my ribs.

Tia Dalma was waiting for us when we stepped into the hut. She saw me and gestured for me to follow her. Ragetti and Will helped me over to a table where I sat down. "Got any medicine that could heal this?" I ask, half expecting the answer to be no.

"Yes. Take off your shirt and lay down." Tia said and walked into the back room.

"Oh." I mumbled then slowly took off my vest and then my shirt. My chest was red with dried blood and the skin, where you could see it, was black and purple. _Not a pretty sight._ I laid down and waited.

When Tia came back she cleaned my cut. To clean it she had to pour alcohol over it. It wasn't the best moment of my life. After that she spread over some sort of salve that was a strange green color. "What is that?" I asked.

"It will help de pain and to heal."

"How, exactly?"

"Would you like me to leave your wounds unattended?" she threatened.

I shook my head. "No. Carry on." she made me sit up to bind my chest. "Wait, what about my ribs? Aren't they broken?"

"Only bruised. It will take a few days to heal but oderwise you should be fine." she didn't answer any more questions after that even when I asked how ribs could heal in a few days.

Tia focused then on my head. Again she cleaned it then spread on the salve. Because the gash was on the back of my head the salve got into my hair. She didn't bind up my head for some reason that I was afraid to ask about. After the medical treatment Tia gave me a clean shirt. It was black and went well with my dark green vest. Then she went into the back room.

I still sat on the table. Will was sitting in a chair repeatedly throwing his father's knife into another table. Elizabeth was sitting on a barrel with her elbows on her knees. She looked extremely sad and guilty. Gibbs was standing on the porch, Pintel and Ragetti found some chairs and crates to get comfortable on. Cotton and Marty were standing nearby.

"Feeling better, Jason?" Will asked.

"Define better." I said glumly.

Tia Dalma came back with a tray full of drinks. She went around to everyone to offer them a drink. When she came to offered a drink to Elizabeth she declined. "It will help against de pain and de sorrow." Elizabeth looked Tia Dalma then took a mug.

"Is it rum?" I asked when she came to me.

"No." Tia Dalma answered. I took a cup from the tray. Before going to Will I say her smile.

"I know that you dought dat with de _Pearl_ you could find a way to set free your fadar's soul." Tia said to him.

"It doesn't matter now." Will said glumly and took a drink. "The _Black Pearl_ is gone along with its captain."

"Aye, and already the world seems less bright." Gibbs said, walking through the open door. "He fooled us all right to the end. I guess that honest streak finally wore out." the first mate raised his mug. "To Jack Sparrow."

"There should be a 'captain' in there somewhere." I said. Gibbs smiled.

"Never another like Captain Jack." Ragetti said.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was." Pintel put in, nearly in tears.

"He was a good man." Elizabeth chimed in. We all drank. It tasted like some sort of tea but slightly better. I drank a bit more than set the beverage down.

Will looked over at his fiancé. "If there was any way to bring him back," he stood up. "Elizabeth…"

"And how do you suggest we do that, William?" I snapped. "It's impossible to bring someone back from the dead. That's what Jack is...dead. In the gullet of a giant squid."

"Would you do it?" Tia Dalma cut in.

"Go down the gullet of a giant squid? No thank you." Tia gave me a look. I shut up.

"What would you do, hm? What would any of you be willing to do? Would you sail beyond de weird and haunted shores of world's end to fetch back witty Jack and 'im precious _Pearl_?"

Gibbs was the first to respond. "Aye." everyone else agreed. One by one they said "aye". They all looked at me.

"It's impossible." I protested. "Plus, he's not exactly the best man alive. I bet half the population hates him."

"But the other half would want him back." Gibbs said.

I sighed. "Why would I want to bring him back?"

"The same reason you joined his crew after he killed Barbossa." Will said.

I looked at him for a moment then let out a small laugh. "Fair enough. I'm in."

Tia Dalma smiled. "Den you will need a captain who knows dose waters."

Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. A slow thump sound at every step. Everyone gathered in front of the staircase to see who our captain was going to be. I stayed on the table because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stand let alone walk. Luckily I got a clear view of the staircase from where I was.

The man finally came into view. If I could've seen our faces I would've laughed so hard. Complete and pure shock was probably the only thing expressed. I felt my mouth hang open and my eyes widen. The man that came down the stairs was Hector Barbossa with Lil'Jack riding on his shoulder. He was wearing the same thing he was wearing when he died, including his wide-brimmed feathered hat.

"So tell me, what's become of my ship?" Barbossa took a big bite of a green apple he was holding then laughed.

No one said anything. What are you supposed to say when someone unexpectedly comes back from the dead? It was even worse for me because this man was my father. A year ago I betrayed and fought against him. Not that I regret that or anything, but it was just an awkward situation for me.

Barbossa looked at us with a smug smile on his face. "Well, are ya just going to stand there until the flies mistake ye for hangmen or are ya going to talk?" I didn't get the analogy at first then realized everyone's mouths were hanging open except for Will's and Elizabeth's. They just looked shocked.

I finally decided to speak up. "Well, what are you supposed to say when an old enemy comes back from the dead? Hi, welcome back to the land of the living. How was Hell?" Barbossa glared at me. "There was a bit of humor in that. You were supposed to laugh."

"Jason," Will started. "Stop talking."

"Why?"

"Because you're jokes are starting to get really annoying." Will turned to Barbossa. "What's the plan?"

"Ye ready to take orders from me, Turner?" the pirate said with a smirk.

"I'm ready to hear your plan, assuming you have one." Will crossed his arms and stood up tall. Barbossa walked down the last step and got in Will's face. It was obvious that Barbossa was taller. Not that much taller but still taller.

"I hate to interrupt this little battle, but I do have one question." I said, jumping down from the table. That was a bad idea because my legs nearly gave out. I braced my hand against the table and caught myself before I fell. Ragetti was nearby and looked ready to catch me if needed and for that I was grateful. "How did you come back from the dead?"

Barbossa nodded at Tia Dalma. "Ask her for I don't know meself."

"You have no idea? Because I would love an explanation right about now. My brain is turning into mush trying to figure it out."

"Good, maybe it'll keep ya quiet." Barbossa snapped back.

"Why would you want to bring back Jack?" Elizabeth asked before I could say anything else.

"Don't question it, Miss Swann. Just be grateful that I am." he walked into the middle of the room and faced us again. "For starters I need to know that ye all are ready to follow my command."

At first no one spoke up, and then Ragetti started it with a quick "aye". Pintel followed, then Gibbs, Marty, and Cotton's parrot. Will, Elizabeth and I had yet to agree.

"Aye." I finally said. Elizabeth echoed me. Will only nodded. He had a dark expression in his eyes.

"Good. Now, Mr. Turner, I'll tell ya my plan." the crew listened intently to Barbossa's plan. I sat back on the table to listen. My legs were still shaky and my headache, although starting to subside, made me feel sick.

As Barbossa's voice echoed throughout the room I began to tune it out. My brain was still trying to figure out how he came back from the dead. It didn't make any sense. Although I was kind of happy he was back.

Soon the captain's voice turned into a dull, lulling noise. My eyes were growing heavy from all the activity that had happened in the past few days. I was surprised I hadn't passed out from exhaustion by then. _Maybe I can close my eyes for a few minutes_. The thought barely passed through my mind before I was asleep.

Unfortunately, I woke up minutes after I fell asleep. The sensation of falling and the hard floor must've brought me back. I was facedown on the floor and everyone was standing over me. Sharp pain shot through my ribs and my headache returned. "I fell off the table, didn't I?" I asked.

"Yeah." Gibbs answered. "You must've fallen asleep."

"I was just making sure gravity still worked. My examination confirms that it is fully functional."

"Come on, lad. Get up." Gibbs kneeled down next to me and grabbed my shoulders.

"But the ground is so comfortable. Can't I just stay here?" Gibbs answered by pulling me up. I staggered once I was standing. Everyone looked like they were holding back laughs. Even Barbossa's mouth was twitching into an upward curl. I grinned at them and bowed. That did it. Soon everyone was snickering or chuckling with the exception of Barbossa, Elizabeth and Will, although even they were smiling.

"I think we should follow Jason's example." Will started.

"Falling off a table? I don't recommend it. It's quite painful." I interrupted.

"I mean we should all get some sleep." he finished.

"You can rest here tonight." Tia Dalma said. I had almost forgotten she was here. "Tomorrow we will set off for Singapore."

"Singapore? Why are we going to Singapore?" I asked.

"Maybe if ya hadn't fallen asleep ye would know." Barbossa said.

"I'm tired, okay? I haven't had a proper sleep in, like, three or four days. You try battling a kraken twice within twenty-four hours."

"Hey, where's Tia Dalma?" Ragetti asked. He was right to question it. The voodoo priestess seemed to just disappeared.

"So, do we just find a place to sleep?" Pintel asked.

Barbossa answered the question for us. He walked over to the desk, sat down on one of the chairs and pulled his hat over his eyes. I looked around the room, found a couch-like bench and followed his example by walking over to it and lying down. With my arms crossed across my chest I quickly fell asleep.

* * *

**Sorry this took so long to post. It took me awhile to "perfect" Jason's reaction to Barbossa coming back. I will have one more chapter before the completion of this story. Thank you to anyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and/or followed this story. If you haven't, there's still time! Quick, hit the button! **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Little Talks

_ I was back on the _BlackPearl_. The wood was splintered and burning. Smoke clouded out the sky. Exactly the way I last saw it. "What am doing here?" I asked myself. I've had enough dreams and nightmares to know that this was one of them but I didn't know why my mind brought me back here._

_ The ship rocked. I felt a sick feeling in my stomach. "It's just a dream, Jason. Just a dream." the self-comforting didn't work. My heartbeat quickened as I saw the first tentacle. Its slimy green color and texture was one hundred percent accurate. I reached for one of my swords and grasped air. All of my weapons were gone. Panic surged through me._

_ The tentacle grabbed me. It felt slimy and wet, exactly like the real thing. "It's just a dream. It's just a dream." I kept telling myself but the more I said it the more it seemed like a lie. Maybe I hadn't escaped. What if I had been knocked unconscious and forgotten about. What if this was real? _I'm going to die.

_ I started struggling but knew it was useless. The kraken's grip tightened as it lifted me over the water. The body rose out of the abyssr. Its jaw opened showing what seemed like infinite rows of sharp teeth as big as my body. The tentacle's grip on me loosened. One of the teeth scratched my shoulder as I fell into the opening maw of the leviathan._

* * *

"Jason, wake up." my eyes shot opened. Barbossa was standing over me with his hand on my shoulder. Surprise added to the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I sat up quickly, almost bumping heads with Barbossa.

"What happened?" I asked, my breath coming out in gasps and sweat beaded down my forehead.

"Ya twitch a lot in yer sleep." Barbossa answered. "Looked like you were having a nightmare."

I wiped my forehead and examined my surroundings. Tia Dalma's hut was dark. The only light was from a candle sitting on a table. Outside it was dark. Everyone else was still sleeping. "What time is it?"

"Not yet dawn. Ye can still sleep for a few more hours." Barbossa walked away and sat down at the table. Along with the candle, Lil'Jack and a map were sitting on top of it.

"No one could fall asleep after that." I muttered and swung my legs over the edge of the bench. My back and ribs were still sore but my headache was gone. My swords were resting on the floor near the couch and my knife was still on my belt.

"Suit yerself." Barbossa muttered, barely paying attention to me.

I stood up and stretched. "Have you been up all night?"

"Aye."

"So you've just been sitting there looking over a map."

"Aye."

"A person can only look over a map for so long before getting bored."

"Get to the point." the captain sounded annoyed.

"Were you watching me sleep?"

"No."

"Then how did you know I was having a nightmare?"

Barbossa sighed. "I glanced over and saw ye were nearly falling off the bench…again."

"I fell off a table the first time." I retorted, walking over and sitting on a chair next to him. Lil'Jack walked over to me. I scratched the capuchin on the head. "What are you looking at?"

"The best route to Singapore."

"Right." I was silent for a few seconds then spoke up again. "Why are we going to Singapore?"

Barbossa looked at me. "Ye ask a lot of questions, don't ya?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Barbossa sighed and turned back to his map. Another question surged on my mind. I opened my mouth to ask then closed it knowing that Barbossa would get annoyed. I did that several times over the course of a few minutes. Finally, Barbossa looked at me with a pissed off expression. "What's on yer mind?"

"How did you come back from the dead?"

"I already told ya I don't know."

"But what do you remember?"

Barbossa rubbed his temple then sat in silence. I waited patiently. "I remember pain then nothing but cold as the world turned black."

"Wow. That was pretty deep."

"You want to hear the story or not?" I stayed quiet. "Then, I woke up." he glanced at me, almost daring me to ask another question. When I didn't say anything he smirked and continued on. "Now, when I woke up I wasn't completely…intact."

"Meaning?" I asked.

"Meaning I wasn't whole. More like…decomposed."

I held up my hand. "Wait, what? Decomposed? Like when you were under the curse and you stood in moonlight and you turned all skeleton-y?"

"A bit like that except maybe more dramatic."

"Like what?"

"Maggots, internal organs showing, the loss of an eye, rotting skin…"

"Okay, you can stop now. I already have enough nightmares as it is." I had my hand up to my mouth.

"Yer the one that wanted hear the story."

"Can we just move on…please?"

Barbossa gave a small laugh. "Didn't think you were the squeamish type."

"I'm not, usually. It's just my mind tends to over exaggerate so what you just told me I probably pictured it ten times worse than it actually was." Barbossa gave me a 'really?' look. "I'm serious."

"Okay. What were ye picturin'?"

"A rotting body infested with maggots, guts spilling out, dried blood covering the ground, et cetera, et cetera. Can you please finish the story?"

"Fine." he cleared his throat. "The next part is a little…weird."

"Believe me, I have seen weird."

"Tia Dalma was there but not at the same time. She physically was not there but here voice seemed to echo through my head."

"Your half rotten, brain damaged head?" I asked with a smile.

Barbossa glared at me and continued with his story. "She said she would bring me back to life so here I am." he threw his arms out in a slight gesture.

"That's it? No bargain? No lifelong servitude?"

"Nay."

I looked at him skeptically. "You're lying."

"Very good, Jason. Yer not as dumb as ya look."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "What really happened?"

"There be some things I prefer to keep to meself, if ye don't mind."

"Fine then, keep your secrets. It's not like I'll spend every waking moment trying to figure out what you're hiding from me." Barbossa ignored me. "Okay, I have something on my mind that I would like to say."

The captain sighed. "What is it?"

"Back at Isla de Muerta…"

"Before you apologize…"

I gave Barbossa a confused look. "I'm not apologizing."

He returned the expression. "What?"

"Why would I apologize for saving my best friend? I did what I felt was right. I mean, I'm sorry that you died but…you know it's kind of weird saying you died when you're sitting right next to me. Anyway, all I'm saying is that I did the right thing and if I had to do it again I would. No questions asked. Admittedly, I would try and stop the whole you dieing thing."

There was moment of silence before Barbossa spoke. "So what are ya trying to say?"

"I guess I just don't want you to get the wrong idea. I know that we're family, but only by blood. Real family is a group of people you care about. Will and the rest of the crew, they're my family so they come first." Lil'Jack put his head under my hand making me pet him.

"So in some hypothetical situation where you have the choice of saving them or me..."

"I would save them."

"Yer very blunt."

"Yeah I know. Hey, if you're not such a jerk this time around maybe I'll let you join. But just maybe."

"That's what ye saw me as? A jerk?"

"A complete and total ass-hole. I would've said jack-ass but that's Sparrow's nickname."

Barbossa let out a small laugh. "Well, that's one thing we agree on."

I smiled. "Okay, I'm going to get a few more hours of sleep before we set out." I stood up. "Oh, and you can't really get angry at me for betraying you."

"And why is that?"

"If you didn't die you might've suffered the hangman's noose. Therefore, none of us would be here." I gestured to everybody. "I would be in jail, Elizabeth would've married Norrington, and you and Jack would've hung while Gibbs and the rest of the crew sailed off with the _Pearl._"

Barbossa looked up at me. "Perhaps yer right."

My eyes widened slightly. "I can't believe it. Captain Barbossa agrees with a fourteen-year-old kid."

"Yer not just any kid, you're my son."

"You're not cut out for that sentimental crap." I said, half laughing.

"Yeah I know. Now go to sleep."

"You still haven't told me why we're going to Singapore."

"That'll be for tomorrow. Now go to sleep. I don't want you tired tomorrow when we set out."

"Nice to see that you care." I said, rather smugly, and stood up. Halfway to the bench I stopped and turned around. "What should I call you?"

Barbossa turned to look at me. "What?"

"Well, you're my dad so I can't call you Barbossa. That would just be weird because it's my last name too. So, I don't know what to call you."

"And why should I know?" he looked as uncomfortable as I felt.

"Because you're an adult and you're supposed to know everything." I said in a mocking tone. "But seriously, what should I call you?"

"I don't know. Sleep on it." he turned back to the table. Lil'Jack jumped from my shoulder onto the chair I had been sitting on.

"Fine. Fine." I sat down on the bench. Before lying down I looked back at Barbossa. "Goodnight, Dad." I said, tentatively, and then laid down.

After a pause Barbossa murmured: "Goodnight, Jason." then he put out the light.

* * *

**Yeah, I know that chapter is kind of short. Sorry.**

**Thank you again to anyone who has read, reviewed, favored and/or followed. The next story should be up not very soon because I will be out of town from Wednesday to sometime in early July. **

**To everyone reading, you can still review. Comments, suggestions, questions, everything! I love hearing from you! **

**Until next time,**

**-WolfPirate**


End file.
